Back through the years I go wondering once again Back to the seasons of my youth I recall a box of rags that someone gave us And how my mama 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 Mama sewed the rags together Sewing 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 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 mama 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 mama made for me Oh I couldn't understand it For I felt I was rich And I told them of the love My mama sewed in every stitch And I told 'em all the story Mama 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 mama made for me Just for me