Patty Loveless (born Patty Lee Ramey on January 4, 1957 in Pikeville, Kentu… Read Full Bio ↴Patty Loveless (born Patty Lee Ramey on January 4, 1957 in Pikeville, Kentucky) has been one of the most popular female country singers since the 1990s. She rose to stardom thanks to her mix of honky tonk and emotive country ballads.

She released her self-titled debut in 1987, and released "Mountain Soul II" on September 29, 2009.

Following throat surgery to repair her vocal chords, she released the album Only What I Feel in 1993 to the best reviews of her career and won multiple awards.

Patty Loveless has been one of the most popular country singers. According to her website, as of 2019 she has had 21 album releases, including 4 that went platinum and 3 that went gold, and nine #1 hits.

Two Coats
Patty Loveless Lyrics

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Two coats were before me
An old and a new
I asked my sweet master
Oh what must I do

The old coat was ugly
So tattered and torn
The other a new one

Had never been worn

I'll tell you the best thing
I ever did
I took off the old coat
And put on the new

The first man was earthy
And made from the ground
We bore all his image
The whole world around

The next was my savior
From heaven so fair
He bought me this new coat
You now see me wear

I'll tell you the best thing
I ever did
I took off the old coat
And put on the new

Now this coat it suits me
And keeps me warm
It's good in the winter
It's good in the storm

My savior has dressed me
In a garment so rare
He bought me this new coat
You now see me wear

I'll tell you the best thing
I ever did
I took off the old coat
And put on the new

I'll tell you the best thing
I ever did

I took off the old coat
And put on the new

Overall Meaning

Patty Loveless's song "Two Coats" is a gospel song that sings about the story of salvation with the analogy of wearing two different coats. The song tells a story where the singer finds herself standing in front of two coats, an old one that's worn out and tattered, and a new one that's pristine and never been worn. She contemplates on which coat to wear, asking her "sweet master" what she should do. After a while, she decides to wear the new coat, taking off the old and tattered one. The song then goes on to say how the old coat represents the old life, sinful and earthy, but wearing the new one represents the new life brought by the savior from heaven. The new coat keeps the wearer warm and protected from the storm.

The song's lyrics are a metaphor for the Christian belief in Jesus's redemption that cleanses a person of their sins and transforms them into a new creation. The old coat represents the old self, and the new coat represents the new self that has been saved by Jesus. The song encourages people to let go of their old lives and embrace the new one that comes with faith in Christ.

Line by Line Meaning

Two coats were before me
There were two coats in front of me

An old and a new
One was old and the other was new

I asked my sweet master
I asked my kind master

Oh what must I do
What should I do?

The old coat was ugly
The old coat was unattractive

So tattered and torn
It was in poor condition and in pieces

The other a new one
The new coat was the other one

Had never been worn
It was brand new and had never been worn before

I'll tell you the best thing
I'll tell you the best choice

I ever did
I ever made

I took off the old coat
I removed the old coat