Dolly Parton once said, “We were poor, but we were rich in love.” Her song “Coat of Many Colors” is the musical letter to that truth — a story of a patchwork coat stitched with love, worn with pride.
Growing up in the Smoky Mountains
Born in rural Tennessee, Dolly was the fourth of twelve children. One cold winter, her mother, Avie Lee, gathered old fabric scraps and sewed her a coat for school. When classmates laughed at her, Dolly simply replied, “My coat was made with love.”
A song written in tears and memory
In 1971, on a tour bus, Dolly wrote the song on a piece of school notebook paper. When she sang it to Porter Wagoner, he wept and said, “Dolly, that’s the best song you’ve ever written.”
It became more than a ballad — it was a hymn to dignity, family, and the power of love in poverty.
A living legacy
Today, “Coat of Many Colors” is taught in Tennessee schools as a symbol of gratitude and family pride. Dolly often tells audiences, “If you’ve got your own coat of many colors, wear it with pride.”