Coat of Many Colors is a song by Dolly Parton, released in 1971, about a coat her mother made for her out of rags. The song inspired a TV movie of the same name, which premiered on NBC in 2015. The film is based on Parton's real-life childhood in rural Tennessee and features a young Dolly receiving a coat made of many colors by her mother, Avie Lee Parton. While the original coat is no longer with Dolly, her mother crafted a replica for display in her Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood.
What You'll Learn
Dolly Parton's mother made the coat
Dolly Parton's mother, Avie Lee Parton, made her the famous coat of many colors. The coat was made from a baby's blanket, stitched together with rags given to the family. Avie Lee Parton sewed the coat for her daughter, Dolly, who was proud to wear it to school. However, she was bullied by her classmates for wearing a coat made of rags.
The story of Dolly Parton's coat of many colors is depicted in a song, a children's book, and a television movie. The song, "Coat of Many Colors," was written and recorded by Dolly Parton herself and released in 1971. In the song, Parton tells the story of how her mother stitched together the coat from rags and how she was bullied by her classmates. The song became a hit and has been covered by various artists.
The children's book, also titled "Coat of Many Colors," was published in 1996 and features illustrations by Judith Sutton. The book brings Parton's song to life, telling the story of a little girl who wears the coat her mother made her from rags to school, only to be laughed at by her classmates. The book conveys a powerful message of kindness, understanding, and appreciation for what one has in life.
The television movie, "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors," premiered on NBC in 2015. The movie is based on a true story by Dolly Parton and depicts her upbringing in rural Tennessee in the 1950s. In the movie, Avie Lee Parton, played by Jennifer Nettles, makes the patchwork coat for her daughter Dolly, played by Alyvia Alyn Lind. The coat is first a source of pride for Dolly, but she later becomes embarrassed by it due to bullying at school.
The coat of many colors made by Dolly Parton's mother has become a symbol of her childhood and a testament to the love and creativity of her mother, Avie Lee Parton. The story of the coat has touched and inspired people through its various retellings in song, literature, and film.
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The coat was made from rags
Dolly Parton's coat of many colors was made from rags. In the 2015 film 'Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors', the singer's mother, Avie Lee Parton, uses the baby's blanket to make her daughter a patchwork coat. The film is based on a true story by Dolly Parton, depicting her upbringing in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains.
The story goes that Dolly was initially proud of her coat, but after being bullied at school, she changed her mind. The coat was made from the blanket of her baby brother, who was born prematurely and died.
The story of Dolly Parton's coat has been immortalised in song, film, and children's books. The tale is one of family, love, and overcoming adversity. It is a story that has resonated with people from all walks of life and has become a symbol of the power of community and sharing.
The coat itself has become a symbol of resilience and creativity in the face of hardship. It serves as a reminder that even the most humble materials can be transformed into something beautiful and meaningful. Dolly's coat, made from rags, is a testament to the resourcefulness and love of her family.
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The story of Joseph and his coat of many colours
Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel, and he resided in the realm of Canaan with his family of at least twelve siblings. He was his father's favourite, which was signified by the gift of a "long coat of many colours". This favouritism caused his brothers to resent him, and they plotted his ruin.
Joseph had two dreams that further angered his brothers. In the first dream, his sheaf of wheat stood up while his brothers' sheaves bowed down to it. In the second dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him. These dreams symbolised Joseph's apparent supremacy and provoked his brothers to betray him.
The brothers conspired to kill Joseph, but the eldest brother, Reuben, intervened and convinced them to throw Joseph into a pit instead. Reuben secretly intended to rescue Joseph later. However, while Reuben was away, the other brothers decided to sell Joseph to a group of Ishmaelite traders passing by. They sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver and dipped his coat in goat blood, presenting it to their father and declaring that Joseph had been killed by wild beasts.
Jacob, believing his son was dead, mourned for him deeply. Meanwhile, Joseph was taken to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, an official in the Pharaoh's court. Despite facing many challenges, including false accusations and imprisonment, Joseph rose to a position of power in Egypt and was eventually reunited with his family during a famine.
The coat of many colours symbolised Joseph's favoured status and set him apart from his brothers. It served as a physical reminder of his father's love and favouritism, which ultimately led to the jealousy and betrayal that changed the course of Joseph's life.
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Dolly was bullied for wearing the coat
Dolly Parton's 2015 biographical drama film, *Coat of Many Colors*, depicts the singer's upbringing in 1955 in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains. The film is based on a true story by Dolly Parton herself and was written by Pamela K. Long and directed by Stephen Herek.
In the film, Dolly's mother Avie Lee Parton makes her a patchwork coat out of her baby brother's blanket. Dolly is initially proud of the coat, but her feelings change after she is bullied by her peers at school. Despite being proud of the coat her mother made for her, Dolly is bullied to the point that she no longer wants to wear it.
Dolly is constantly thankful for the coat, even though she is poor. She knows that her coat was made with love and care, and she stands her ground in the face of bullying. However, the bullying takes a toll on her, and she eventually decides she no longer wants to wear the coat.
The bullies in the film include Rudy Sanders, played by Forrest Deal, and his sister Gloria Sanders, played by Kennedy Brice. In one scene, Rudy and Gloria make fun of Dolly's coat, calling it ugly and laughing at her. This causes Dolly to feel embarrassed and self-conscious about the coat, and she begins to associate it with negative emotions.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising its portrayal of family love, faith, and overcoming adversity.
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Dolly's mother made a replica coat for display
Dolly Parton's song "Coat of Many Colors" tells the story of how her mother stitched together a coat from rags given to the family. As she sewed, she told Dolly the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. Dolly was proud of the coat, but her feelings changed when she wore it to school and her classmates made fun of her. The song concludes with Parton singing about how her mother's love and the story sewn into the coat made her feel rich.
The original coat is no longer in Parton's possession, as her mother would often repurpose old items. However, she did create a replica coat for display in her Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood. This replica coat was crafted based on her mother's memory of the original design.
In an interview with The Tennessean, Parton shared her thoughts on the significance of the song and its connection to her mother's love and the values it instilled in her. She also mentioned that she has a school picture of herself wearing the original coat, which had patches all over it.
The song "Coat of Many Colors" was composed in 1969 while Parton was travelling with Porter Wagoner on a tour bus. She wrote the lyrics on the back of a dry-cleaning receipt from one of Wagoner's suits, and the receipt was later framed and donated to the Chasing Rainbows Museum by Wagoner. The song was officially released in September 1971 as the second single and title track from the album "Coat of Many Colors." It peaked at #4 on the U.S. country singles charts.
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Frequently asked questions
No, she does not. In an interview with Bart Herbison, Parton said, "I do not have the original coat, because when we were growing up, Mama made scraps out of everything."
The original coat was likely used for other purposes and turned into a quilt, a baby blanket, or something else.
Yes, she did. Her mother made a new coat, which is now on display at the Chasing Rainbows Museum in Dollywood.
The song "Coat of Many Colors" is about Parton's mother stitching together a coat for her out of rags. The song tells of how the excited child rushed to school, only to be laughed at and bullied for wearing a coat made of rags. The song concludes with Parton singing about how she felt rich due to the love her mother sewed into every stitch.