When the cassette tape played, I was seldom interested in the lyrics—how likely was a 6-year-old to care? Yet I could feel sorrow, compassion, and sadness in the singer’s voice. I imagined someone hurting her. Was she hit, betrayed, lonely? Her voice held a mystery I wanted to uncover, but she was miles away from me. Since I could not unravel the enigma, I let the thought go. As I grew older, my mother did not grow tired of playing the cassette tape. I could not hide from hearing it either, unless I could afford a roof over my head. One evening, during the holiday and with no homework to attend to, I had to ask her. ‘Mum, who’s this person always sad when they’re singing?’ ‘You mean all this time, you don’t know it’s Dolly Parton? And who told you she’s sad? When you truly express how you feel, it is not always a sad tale, my girl. Do you even know what this song playing is about?’ ‘Yes, ma. It’s her coat of many colours, just like the one Joseph had, right?’ ‘Eh en. Only hers was give...
When the cassette tape played, I was seldom interested in the lyrics—how likely was a 6-year-old to care? Yet I could feel sorrow, compassion, and sadness in the singer’s voice. I imagined someone hurting her. Was she hit, betrayed, lonely? Her voice held a mystery I wanted to uncover, but she was miles away from me. Since I could not unravel the enigma, I let the thought go.
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As I grew older, my mother did not grow tired of playing the cassette tape. I could not hide from hearing it either, unless I could afford a roof over my head. One evening, during the holiday and with no homework to attend to, I had to ask her.
‘Mum, who’s this person always sad when they’re singing?’
‘You mean all this time, you don’t know it’s Dolly Parton? And who told you she’s sad? When you truly express how you feel, it is not always a sad tale, my girl. Do you even know what this song playing is about?’
‘Yes, ma. It’s her coat of many colours, just like the one Joseph had, right?’
‘Eh en. Only hers was given to her by her mother, and unlike Jacob, who had more, Dolly’s mother had no money. So, my girl, learn to feel rich even if you have no money. Listen to this part:
“Although we had no money
But I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colours
My mama made for me”’
It was as though a veil was removed from my mind’s eye. All these years, I had listened but never really given thought to the wording of the song “Coat of Many Colours.”
For one, I also had coats of different colours that my seamstress mother made for me almost always at the eleventh hour—when there was a church program, my dress was manufactured the same day; for a school activity, maybe an hour before kickoff; for Christmas Day, thirty minutes before the church service. Why? There must be enough leftover fabric from customers for my mum to carve out something beautiful for her little girl, and most of all, there must be food on the table before the thought of garments.
To think that I also felt rich in my clothing. No one would imagine my meals weren’t square, just a Möbius strip called dinner, for we all needed to sleep well to face another unpredictable day financially. And truly, when I wore my garments to school, I was not looked upon as the fairest because they were not deemed as en vogue as the jeans and halter necks of our time. I did not try to make anyone see that one is only poor if they choose to be, because yes, I felt rich as I could be…
My mum made my dresses just for me—bespoke—and that was enough. I grew up never ashamed of any gift that was crafted with great effort and wrapped in love. I know the world is going wild about money, luxury, and fame. The truth is, we cannot keep up with every new or upgraded invention without losing our peace of mind. The good part is that we have songs like Dolly’s that remind us self-worth and dignity do not depend on what others think of our appearance or circumstances. If you are guzzling music or songs that will only make you see yourself as poor without excess “moolah,” I hope you lend your ears to meaningful songs that will educate and change your mindset emotionally, psychologically, culturally, and of course, spiritually.
To my mother, thank you for showing what contentment feels like.
To Dolly Parton: thank you for sharing your story with such a poignant and evocative voice. I hope you meet Joseph in heaven and compare whose coat is finer. Rest well.
To you reading this, which songs have shaped you and stayed with you from childhood?
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Don’t Forget to Be Honest!
So insightful and mind opening
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading 😊
DeleteTrue talk. I'm hardly inspired by most songs of this era. They all sound almost the same and talking about money. It’s like there's no creativity left of them. I listened to Dolly while growing up and Don Williams. In fact I still do because they make sense
ReplyDeleteYesterday morning, I walked into the office already worn out from spending hours trapped in Lagos traffic. But the moment I turned on the TV, CNN delivered news that made everything else fade: Dolly Parton had passed away at 80. Immediately, "Jolene" rang through my mind, along with a simple thought, God took her because He can, and her time had come.
ReplyDeleteShe will rest well, but her legacy isn't going anywhere. My kids are young, yet they know her songs just like I grew up knowing them from my parents. Long after we're gone, future generations will still be listening. That is the power of true, enduring music, not the quick, forgettable tracks we hear so much of today.
"Coat of Many Colors" has always hit me deepest right at this lyric: "They didn't understand it, and I tried to make them see , That one is only poor only if they choose to be."
Rest in peace to the true Grande Dame of Country Music.