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