Dolly Parton – Joshua

About the song

Dolly Parton’s “Joshua” is a country song that holds a special place in her career. Released in 1970, it was the title track for her album of the same name and became a significant milestone for a few reasons.

  • Chart-topping success: “Joshua” was Parton’s first single to reach number one on the US country charts, solidifying her rise in country music.

  • Grammy recognition: The song earned Parton her first Grammy nomination in the Best Country Female Vocal category, showcasing her talent to a wider audience.

  • Thematic intrigue: The lyrics tell the story of a woman named Dolly (likely referencing Parton herself) who expresses curiosity about a lonely man named Joshua living by himself. The catchy chorus “Joshua, Joshua, What you are doing living here all alone / Joshua, Joshua, Have you got nobody to call your own” creates a sense of mystery and intrigue, leaving the listener wondering about Joshua’s past and if a romance might blossom.

While the song doesn’t explicitly reveal everything about Joshua, it represents a turning point in Parton’s career and continues to be a beloved classic in her extensive country music catalog. You can find the song on YouTube: youtube.com or other streaming platforms.

Video

Lyrics

Well, a good ways down the railroad trackThere was this little old rundown shackAnd in it lived a man I’d never seenFolks said he was a mean and a vicious manAnd you better not set foot on his landBut I didn’t think nobody could be that mean
So I took me out walking down the railroad trackI was a-gonna go down to that little old shackAnd just find out if all them things I’d heard was trueThere was a big black dog laying out in the yardAnd it growled at me and I swallowed hardAnd I heard somebody say, “well, who are you?”Oh, and there he stood in the door of that shackAnd his beard and his hair was long and blackAnd he was the biggest man I’d ever seen
When he spoke his voice was low and deepBut he just didn’t frighten me‘Cause somehow I just knew he wasn’t meanHe said, “What you doing snooping ’round my place?”Then I saw a smile come across his faceSo I smiled back and I told him who I wasHe said come on in and pull you up a chairYou might as well since you already hereAnd he said, “You can call me Joshua”
Joshua, JoshuaWhatcha doing living here all alone?Joshua, JoshuaAin’t you got nobody to call your own?No no, no no
We talked ’til the sun was clean out of sightAnd we still talkin’ when it come daylightAnd there was just so much we had to sayI’d spent my life in an orphan’s homeAnd just like him I was all aloneSo I said, “Yeah, ” when he asked if I’d stayOh, we grew closer as time went onAnd that little old shack it was a happy homeAnd we just couldn’t help but fall in loveThat big black dog and that little old shackSitting down by the railroad trackIt’s plenty good enough for me and Joshua
Joshua, JoshuaWhy you’re just what I’ve been looking forJoshua, JoshuaYou ain’t gonna be lonesome anymoreNo no
Yodel-a-he-ho la-he-he-he-he-hePa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa
Me and JoshuaMe and JoshuaMe and Joshua, yeah yeahMe and Joshua