Dolly Parton - Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton has donated 100 Million books.  At the Library of Congress, they call her the "book lady".  It all started in Sevier County, Tennessee when she founded the Imagination Library.  Families that sign their child up get a book each month from birth until kindergarten.  It is giving away a million books each month.

Dolly started it in honor of her father, who never learned to read or write.

She is a great performer, one of our greatest songwriters, but is also a national treasure.  This is said to be one of her favorites of all the songs she's written.  She said that the song just came to her; not having any paper, she wrote it down on the back of Porter Wagoner's dry cleaning receipt.  He had the receipt framed.



Coat Of Many Colors (Songwriter: Dolly Parton)

Back through the years 
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 
And it was way down in the fall 
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 
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 them 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