Coat of Many Colors
Emmylou Harris Lyrics

Back through the years
Reflecting on the past

I go wonderin' once again
Thinking back on my childhood

Back to the seasons of my youth
Revisiting the different stages of my childhood

I recall a box of rags that someone gave us
Remembering the box of rags we received

And how my momma put the rags to use
My mother used the rags creatively

There were rags of many colors
The box contained rags of various colors

Every piece was small
Each piece of rag was little

And I didn't have a coat
I didn't have a coat to wear

And it was way down in the fall
It was already autumn

Momma sewed the rags together
My mom sewed the bits of rags together

Sewin' every piece with love
She stitched it all with affection

She made my coat of many colors
She created my coat using the rags

That I was so proud of
I was delighted with it

As she sewed, she told a story
While she was stitching, she shared a story

From the Bible, she had read
The story was from the Bible

About a coat of many colors
The story was about Joseph's coat

Joseph wore and then she said
Joseph wore a coat like the one I was getting

Perhaps this coat will bring you
This coat may give you

Good luck and happiness
Luck and happiness

And I just couldn't wait to wear it
I was eagerly looking forward to wearing it

And momma blessed it with a kiss
My mother kissed it to bless it

My coat of many colors
The coat that was made from scraps of fabric

That my momma made for me
That was created by my mother just for me

Made only from rags
The coat was created using scraps of fabric

But I wore it so proudly
But I was proud to wear it

Although we had no money
Despite our poverty

I was rich as I could be
I felt as though I had everything

In my coat of many colors
Because of the coat that was created out of rags

So with patches on my britches
With patches on my pants

And holes in both my shoes
And with shoes that were full of holes

In my coat of many colors
Wearing the multi-colored coat

I hurried off to school
I made my way to school in a rush

Just to find the others laughing
Only to discover the others mocking me

And making fun of me
And bullying me

And oh I couldn't understand it
I was unable to comprehend it

For I felt I was rich
Because I felt so wealthy

And I told 'em of the love
I shared with them the tale of how much love

My momma sewed in every stitch
Was woven into every stitch of the coat

And I told 'em all the story
I narrated the entire story

Momma told me while she sewed
About the story my mother shared with me while making the coat

And how my coat of many colors
And how this coat made of various pieces of rags

Was worth more than all their clothes
Was more valuable than any of their clothes

But they didn't understand it
They were unable to comprehend it

And I tried to make them see
I attempted to help them understand

That one is only poor
True poverty occurs only

Only if they choose to be
When people opt to be poor

Now I know we had no money
I know that we lacked any financial resources

But I was rich as I could be
However, I felt incredibly wealthy

In my coat of many colors
The multi-colored coat created by my mother

My momma made for me
She made this coat specifically for me

Made just for me
It was mine alone