Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television in East Tennessee. At age 12 she was appearing on Knoxville TV, and at 13, she was recording on a small label and appearing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. When she graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to Nashville, taking many traditional elements of folklore and popular music from East Tennessee with her.
Parton's initial success came as a songwriter, with her songs being covered by Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, Jr., Skeeter Davis, and a number of others. She signed with Monument Records in late 1965, where she was initially pitched as a bubblegum pop singer, earning only one national chart single, "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," which did not crack the Billboard Top 100. Additional pop singles also failed to chart.
The label agreed to have Parton sing country music after her composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" as recorded by Bill Phillips (and with Parton, uncredited, on harmony) went to No. 6 on the country charts in 1966. Her first country single, "Dumb Blonde" (one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but didn't write), reached No. 24 country 1967, followed later the same year with "Something Fishy," which went to No. 17. The two songs anchored her first full-length album, Hello I'm Dolly, that same year.
In 1967, Parton was asked to join the weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted by Porter Wagoner, replacing Norma Jean. She also signed with RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this period, where she would remain for the next two decades. Wagoner and Parton immediately began a hugely successful career as a vocal duet in addition to their solo work and their first single together, a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached the top ten on the U.S. country charts in late 1967, and was the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart for them during the next several years.
Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having begun by writing country songs with strong elements of folk music in them based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a composer, she is also regarded as one of country music's most gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood.
In 1982 Dolly Parton sang her song "I Will Always Love You", for the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", starring Parton and Burt Reynolds. The song - originally composed around 1974 - made few ripples, but it wasn't until Whitney Houston re-recorded it for "The Bodyguard" a decade later, that the song made yet another international hit for Dolly Parton. She later put out her own version on the 1996 album of the same name.
In 1987, Parton left her longtime label, RCA, and signed with Columbia Records, where her recording career continued to prosper, but by the mid 1990s, Parton, along with many other performers of her generation, found that her new music was not welcome on country radio playlists. She recorded a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and "Little Sparrow" (2001), both of which won Grammy Awards. Her 2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic Stairway to Heaven. In 2005, Parton released Those Were The Days, her interpretation of hits from the folk-rock era of the late 1960s through early 1970s. The CD featured such classics as John Lennon's "Imagine," Cat Stevens' "Where Do The Children Play," Tommy James' "Crimson & Clover," and the folk classic "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", as well as the title track.
In 2007, Dolly paved new musical ground by forming her own record label, Dolly Records. The label's first release - Backwoods Barbie - debuted at #2 on the Billboard country albums charts and marks Parton's first mainstream country album in 17 years. Parton is touring North America and Europe throughout 2008 in support of her latest release.
1955
07 Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I go wonderin' once again
Back to the seasons of my youth
I recall a box of rags that someone gave us
And how my momma put the rags to use
There were rags of many colors
Every piece was small
And I didn't have a coat
Momma sewed the rags together
Sewin' every piece with love
She made my coat of many colors
That I was so proud of
As she sewed, she told a story
From the Bible, she had read
About a coat of many colors
Joseph wore and then she said
Perhaps this coat will bring you
Good luck and happiness
And I just couldn't wait to wear it
And momma blessed it with a kiss
My coat of many colors
That my momma made for me
Made only from rags
But I wore it so proudly
Although we had no money
I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
So with patches on my britches
And holes in both my shoes
In my coat of many colors
I hurried off to school
Just to find the others laughing
And making fun of me
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
And oh I couldn't understand it
For I felt I was rich
And I told 'em of the love
My momma sewed in every stitch
And I told 'em all the story
Momma told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colors
Was worth more than all their clothes
But they didn't understand it
And I tried to make them see
That one is only poor
Only if they choose to be
Now I know we had no money
But I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
Made just for me
Dolly Parton’s song “Coat Of Many Colors” is a deeply personal and introspective reflection on her upbringing and the powerful role her mother played in her life. The lyrics transport the listener back through time to the seasons of Dolly’s youth, recalling a box of rags her family received from a stranger. Her mother, unable to buy her a coat, sewed the rags together with love and made her a coat of many colors, which Dolly was so proud of. The coat was a symbol of the family’s resilience and resourcefulness, even in their poverty. Her mother’s story about Joseph and his coat of many colors from the Bible further imbued the garment with meaning, making it a source of pride and self-worth for Dolly.
As she joyfully wore it to school, the other children mocked and teased her, but Dolly remained firmly rooted in her sense of self-worth, valuing the love and care that went into the making of the coat more highly than any fancy clothes or material possessions. The song is ultimately a tribute to the strength and love of Dolly’s mother and to the power of family and community to provide a sense of belonging and purpose, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Back through the years
I go wonderin' once again
Back to the seasons of my youth
I am reminiscing about the good old days of my childhood.
I recall a box of rags that someone gave us
And how my momma put the rags to use
There were rags of many colors
Every piece was small
And I didn't have a coat
And it was way down in the fall
We were poor and someone gave us a box of rags. My momma used the rags to make me a coat for the cold autumn season.
Momma sewed the rags together
Sewin' every piece with love
She made my coat of many colors
That I was so proud of
My momma stitched the rags together and made me a coat filled with love; I was beyond proud to wear it.
As she sewed, she told a story
From the Bible, she had read
About a coat of many colors
Joseph wore and then she said
Perhaps this coat will bring you
Good luck and happiness
And I just couldn't wait to wear it
And momma blessed it with a kiss
As my momma sewed the coat, she told me a story about Joseph's coat of many colors from the Bible. She gave me her blessing and wished me good luck and happiness.
My coat of many colors
That my momma made for me
Made only from rags
But I wore it so proudly
My coat, made from rags, is something I wear with pride, as it was made with love by my momma.
Although we had no money
I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
Even though we were poor and had no money, the coat my momma made me was priceless, and I felt rich.
So with patches on my britches
And holes in both my shoes
In my coat of many colors
I hurried off to school
Despite the patches on my clothes and occasional holes in my shoes, I wore my coat with pride as I headed off to school.
Just to find the others laughing
And making fun of me
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
Unfortunately, other kids laughed and made fun of me for wearing a coat made of rags, but I still loved it because my momma made it for me.
And oh I couldn't understand it
For I felt I was rich
And I told 'em of the love
My momma sewed in every stitch
Even though I didn't understand why other kids laughed at me, I knew I was rich because my coat was filled with the love that my momma sewed into every stitch.
And I told 'em all the story
Momma told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colors
Was worth more than all their clothes
I shared with the other children the story of how my momma made my coat and how it was worth more than all their fancy clothes.
But they didn't understand it
And I tried to make them see
That one is only poor
Only if they choose to be
Sadly, the other kids didn't understand, but I tried to explain that being poor is a choice, and I felt rich because of the love that surrounded me.
Now I know we had no money
But I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me
Made just for me
Although my family was poor, the coat my momma made me filled me with riches, love, and pride, and it was made just for me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Servo M
Money is worth nothing.
Love is worth everything.
God bless you Dolly Parton, and everyone else here, Amen.
mandynelson679
Thank you
stephanie cameron
Amen 🙏
Lindie Dunn
Thanks
Natalie
Amen
Jennifer Cabaniss
No she a thif
Achelois69
This song makes me cry over memories that aren't my own
Soi Bae
Same here!
Angel Samson
Same me
Angel Samson
I like this song... Make me to remember my mom