“Coat Of Many Colors”

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
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
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 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 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
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 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

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
The man I loved ran a salesman route
Selling goods from house to house
Now I knew my mama would never stand
For me stepping out with no traveling man
Mama bought things that he was a’selling
But mama didn’t know and I sure wasn’t telling
That behind her back I was making plans
To meet somewhere with that traveling man
Oh the traveling man was a good bit older
But a girl needs arms to hold her
Mama didn’t know ’cause I didn’t told her
But mama wouldn’t understand
Me stepping out with a traveling man

Mama didn’t allow me a’going courting
And I’d tell lies that I reckon I oughtn’t
Oh but she’d a’give me the back a’ her hand
If she’d a’seen me with that traveling man
So I tell my mama that I reckon I oughta
Go to the spring and fetch us some water
What mama didn’t know is I had a plan
To meet down there with that traveling man

Now I make plans to run away
With that traveling man on a Saturday
Well Saturday’s here and here I stand
And there goes my mama with that traveling man

Oh that traveling man was a two-time lover
He took my love then he took my mother
But I didn’t know ’cause mama didn’t told me and I don’t understand
My mama running off with my traveling man

Mama, you know you oughtn’t a’done that
You just like my daddy
He run off before I ever knowed him
You done run-off with my traveling man
And I really don’t think I ever knowed you either
Oh there goes my mama with my traveling man
And I’m really gonna miss that traveling man
Mm-hm

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
Fly away from my window little blue bird
Fly as far as you can away from here
And let not your song fall upon my ear
Go spread your blue wings and I’ll shed my blue tears

For the one that I have loved he has left me and gone
And I’m in no mood for to hear your sad song

And bring not your light into my dark room, yellow sunshine
Waste not your warmth on the cold glisten here
Oh, trouble me not
Go ye elsewhere
Go light your blue sky and I’ll shed my blue tears

For the only one that I have ever loved has gone away
And I’m in no mood for the sunshine today

‘cause I don’t know when or if ever again
I will see his sweet face but I fear
It’s forever goodbye though I can’t say why
But I’ll sit here and cry my lonely blue tears

Go spread your blue wings light your blue sky
I’ll shed my blue tears
My blue tears
My blue tears

Songwriter: Porter Wagoner

Song Lyrics
Mama, it’s so good to be back home again
I’m so proud to see that you are looking well
Yes, I know that I look a little weary
Oh, but Mama, I have been through living hell
You know how much I’ve always loved him, Mama
But he done things to me I couldn’t understand
Why, he made me watch him love another woman
And he tried to make me love another man

Mama, can I be your little girl again?
I need you now even more than I did then
And I need a lot of love and understanding
And a lot of time to get me over him

If I lose my mind, Mama, I wanna be here with you
Have them lock me up and see I have good care
But I just couldn’t stand his torture any longer
I was afraid of what I’d do if I stayed there

Songwriter: Porter Wagoner

Song Lyrics
There are so many things that I don’t understand
And I search my mind to try to find an answer
But the more I search the less I seem to find out why
Like where where the wind goes, how does life begin
What happens when we die
The mystery of the mystery must stay unknown
Only God can know and man must not see
Great minds have tried but they will not find
The answer to the mystery of the mystery

Man will seek the mystic rails of the mystery
But their silent halls reveal not a sound
Many men will give their lives just to try to find
The answer to a mystery in their mind

The mystery of the mystery must stay unknown
Only God can know and man must not see
Great minds have tried but they will not find
The answer to the mystery of the mystery

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
I know you think you love her and you’re making plans to leave
But I must tell you something I just hope you’ll believe
I know it isn’t real love that you see in her eyes
Cause she’s never met a man she didn’t like
And you’re no different from the others
A new acquaintence in the night
You mean no more to her than all the others she’s held tight
But I know she’s convinced you it was love at first sight
But she’s never met a man she didn’t like

I must let you go but I want you to know
That I love you please don’t let her ruin our lives
For there’ll be other men and she won’t want you then
She’s never met a man she didn’t like

I must let you go but I want you to know
That I love you please don’t let her ruin our lives
For she’ll have other men oh and she won’t want you then
Cause she’s never met a man she didn’t like
Oh no she’s never met a man she didn’t like

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
I open up my door to greet the early morning sun
Closing it behind me and away I do run
To the meadow where the meadow lark is singing in the tree
In the meadow I go walking in the early morning breeze
I cup my hands to catch a multi-colored butterfly
Perched upon the petals of flowers growing wild
Freeing it I watch it as it flies away from me
To visit with the flowers in the early morning breeze

Rainbow colored flowers kissed with early morning sun
The aster and the dahlia and wild geraniums
Drops of morning due still linger on the iris leaves
In the meadow where I’m walking in the early morning breeze

Misty-eyed I look about the meadow where I stray
For its there I find the courage to greet the coming day
For there among the flowers I kneel gently to my knees
To have a word with God in the early mornig breeze

A rainbow colored meadow kissed with early morning sun
The aster and the dahlia and wild geraniums
Drops of morning dew still linger on the iris leaves
In the meadow where I’m walking in the early morning breeze

Songwriter: Porter Wagoner

Song Lyrics
Your gentle body lying here so close to me
As you move your hand slowly across my face
You’re touch is as soft as the words you speak to me
What a love in the way I see you
I compare it with the beauty of the dawning
Or when the sun sets and paints its picture in the blue
Like a butterfly that has a million colors, all such beauty
Like the love in the way I see you

I compare it with the beauty of the dawning
Or when the sun sets and paints its picture in the blue
Like a butterfly that has a million colors, all such beauty
What a love in the way I see you

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
Here I am, oh here I am, here I am
If you need a love that’s true
Need someone to stand by you
Here I am, oh here I am, here I am
If you need a helping hand, need someone to understand
Here I am, oh here I am, here I am

Here I am, I’m reaching out to give you love that you’re without
I can help you find what you’ve been looking for
Here I am, come to me, take my hand ’cause I believe
I can give you all the love you need and more
Oh here I am, oh here I am, here I am

My world is such an empty place
I need someone to fill the space
And here I am, oh here I am, here I am
‘Cause I’ve got so much love to give
I need someone to share it with
And here I am, oh here I am, here I am

Here I am, I’m reaching out to give you love that you’re without
I can help you find what you’ve been searching for
Here I am, come to me, take my hand ’cause I believe
I can give you all the love you need and more
Oh here I am, oh here I am, here I am

Oh here I am, oh here I am, here I am
Here I am, oh here I am, here I am

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
There’s a bit of magic in a simple little smile
Something that just makes life seem a little more worthwhile
And there’s a world of meaning in the touch of someone’s hand
A gentle touch that let’s your brother know you understand
Oh if people would stop taking and just once try to give
We could make the world we’re living in a better place to live
La la la la la la la la la la la la

And if we’d love one another instead of finding faults
We could afford the price of peace, love is all it costs
Oh wouldn’t it be great to live and sing in harmony
Everybody take your brother’s hand and sing my song with me

La la la la la la la la la la la la

All life has to offer that’s what most folks desire
But offer nothing in return, ‘cause they don’t seem to care
And if we’d ask to be forgiven and be willing to forgive
We could make the world we’re living in a better place to live
And if we’d all climb together, we could climb the highest hill
We could make the world we’re living in a better place to live

And if we’d love one another instead of finding faults
We could afford the price of peace, love is all it costs
Oh wouldn’t it be great to live and sing in harmony
Everybody take your brother’s hand and sing my song with me

La la la la la la la la la la la la

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
Love can make you feel just like you own the world
Or it can make you wish you’ve never seen it
The lips of one you love can give you cause for living
Or tell you things that never really mean it
Once I had a love I thought that it was mine just thought to take it
And all at once he left and all at once my heart started breaking breaking
Judging by my love for him I thought his love for me was just as strong
And all the things he told me I really thought he meant them all alone
He had no plans to carry out all his plans that we’d been making
Cause all at once he left and all at once my heart started breaking breaking
Oh all at once I realized love can be a cruel and hurtin’ thing
It can fill your world with sunshine but it can also bring you rain
And I know where the clouds would gather in my sunny sky of love
The rain came down he let me down he left and my heart started breaking
breaking

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
Though you haven’t left me yet, I know you’re just as good as gone

I stand here in the doorway of the room where you lie sleeping
In hopes that I don’t wake you up with the sounds of my weeping
It breaks my heart to see you laying there
Alone in the bed we used to share‘Cause you no longer want me and I wonder what went wrong
Though you haven’t left me yet, I know you’re just as good as gone
There’s so much more between us than just these lonely walls
The echoes of our dying love lingers in the halls
Living separately together in a house that’s not a home
Though you haven’t left me yet, I know you’re just as good as gone
Through the eyes of a broken heart, I watch my whole world fall apart
I’m trying to revive a love that’s died
Hopelessly I’m holding on to a love I know is gone
Gone, but not because I haven’t tried
Disappearing from your doorway now the hurt is twice as strong
Though you haven’t left me yet, I know you’re just as good as gone

Though you haven’t left me yet, I know you’re just as good as gone

Songwriter: Porter Wagoner

Song Lyrics
I felt the sturdy hand of fate upon me
And I felt the sting of love’s burning pain
And I felt the happiness of those around me
But I’ve never felt the touch of love’s sweet hand
The tender touch of love and understanding
That makes your body tremble with true love
They say a million words could not describe it
But I’ve never felt the tender touch of love
Though I felt needing hands say “I love you”
But when the need is gone, they’ll turn away
And leave my heart with emptiness inside it
The hands have hurt then touched the empty place
I’ve never felt the touch of understanding
That makes your body tremble with true love
They say a million could not describe it
But I’ve never felt the tender touch of love
Oh no, I’ve never felt the tender touch of love

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Song Lyrics
Fly away from my window little blue bird
Fly as far as you can away from here
And let not your song fall upon my ear
Go spread your blue wings and I’ll shed my blue tears

For the one that I have loved he has left me and gone
And I’m in no mood for to hear your sad song

And bring not your light into my dark room, yellow sunshine
Waste not your warmth on the cold glisten here
Oh, trouble me not
Go ye elsewhere
Go light your blue sky and I’ll shed my blue tears

For the only one that I have ever loved has gone away
And I’m in no mood for the sunshine today

‘cause I don’t know when or if ever again
I will see his sweet face but I fear
It’s forever goodbye though I can’t say why
But I’ll sit here and cry my lonely blue tears

Go spread your blue wings light your blue sky
I’ll shed my blue tears
My blue tears
My blue tears

Released: October 2, 1971
Recorded: March–April 1971, RCA Studio “B”, Nashville
Genre: Country music
Label: RCA Victor Records
Producer: Bob Ferguson
Singles: “My Blue Tears” released July 17, 1971, “Coat of Many Colors” released October 30, 1971