The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Back through the years I go wonderein' once again back to the seasons of my youth
I recall the box of rags that someone gave us how my mama put the rags to use
There were rags of many colors and every piece was small
And I didn't have a coat and it was way down in the fall
Mama sewed the rags together sewed 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 mama blessed it with a kiss
My coat of many colors that my mama made for me
Made it all from the rags that I wore it so proudly
Although we had no money I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors my mama made for me
So with patches on my breaches and holes in both my shoes
In my coat of many colors I hurried off to school
Just to find the others laughin' and a makin' point of me
In my coat of many colors my mama made for me
And oh I couldn't understand it I felt I was rich
And I told them all the love my mama sewed in every stitch
And I told them all the story mama told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colors was much 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 used to be
Now I know we had no money I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors my mama made for me made just for me
I recall the box of rags that someone gave us how my mama put the rags to use
There were rags of many colors and every piece was small
And I didn't have a coat and it was way down in the fall
Mama sewed the rags together sewed 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 mama blessed it with a kiss
My coat of many colors that my mama made for me
Made it all from the rags that I wore it so proudly
Although we had no money I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors my mama made for me
So with patches on my breaches and holes in both my shoes
In my coat of many colors I hurried off to school
Just to find the others laughin' and a makin' point of me
In my coat of many colors my mama made for me
And oh I couldn't understand it I felt I was rich
And I told them all the love my mama sewed in every stitch
And I told them all the story mama told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colors was much 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 used to be
Now I know we had no money I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors my mama made for me made just for me
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Coat of Many Colors Lyrics as written by Dolly Parton
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.