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,
And 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 a 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,
And 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 that 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