When someone says the words “country music”, people tend to think of the stereotypical blues type songs of someone’s dog dying or their wife leaving them. Country has gone a long way from that viewpoint, and part of the reason why is because of Dolly Parton. Here’s a woman who can successfully laugh in the face of those who call her a “dumb blonde”. When you see this song and hear the lyrics that she wrote, you can see why she shatters that image.
Parton sits down on the stage during the 2015 season of “The Voice”. She’s got an acoustic guitar that’s decked out with many different colors, almost like a stained-glass window. A few seconds later, the music plays and she starts singing one of her most deeply personal songs – “Coat of Many Colors”, which spans quite a few things in three minutes – a mother’s love, sewing, a biblical story, scorn and self-confidence..
Parton sings of going to school, all proud of the jacket that her mommy had made from an assortment of many fabris. Why not? Her mom had worked hard on it and there was a great story behind it. Kids being kids, though, were cruel. I know the feeling… I went to a private high school where my classmates judged me by the brand of clothes I wore, not the person that I was. There’s a reason why I don’t go to reunions. I wonder if Parton still goes to any reunions… possibly to show her classmates: I’m Dolly Parton.
When I first saw the name of this song, unaware of the history of the Parton song, I thought she was doing a cover from the play “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” – I was ready to sing along, “It was red and yellow and green..” but this has a nice tie in to that song, since it is about that biblical story. Parton is lucky that she had a mother who cared for her that much to make something like that.
Parton puts such a unique signature to her music that it’s not just country… it’s Dolly Music. Don’t you think so? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section. Also, please “Like” us on Facebook.
https://youtu.be/9zLsAf6SCwY