Now playing

Joshua

Chords

4.79 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Cmajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

This is how I play it - I'm pretty sure the song's capo 9, but it's a bit tight for me.  
I play it Capo on 4th fret, this sounds pretty good to me. Pretty sure it's in E as well.
CJoshua was an old man, hCis beard like mountain snow
And when FI was a boy we'd have jam sesCsions
CI'd sneak off to old Sharptop, Cwith my guitar I would go
When I Fshould have been at school, learnin' my Clessons
And he'd Gsip a little moonshine
And I'd Fsmoke a corncob pipe
And we'd Gpick all day until our fingers Fbled
And Gright around supper time
I'd Frun home in the night
GJust in time to get a whoppin' from my FDadG  
My Cfriend Joshua tells me that Cpicking wont pay the rent
WFell I set out to prove him wrong iCn time
CI dont guess I can recall aCll the hours that I spent
Just beFating on that old flat top of Cmine
GMe and my friend Joshua lord
FWe must have played them all
GAnd I got to where I could put the old man to sFhame
GI don't guess it ever seemed to Fbother Josh at all
GWe still loved to pick 'em just the sFameG  
 COhG,  way bacFk when
 CHe was 6G5 and I was F10
 And CI will never bGe as fFree again
   COGh, way back Fwhen
CThe summer flew by quickly and JCosh and I spent our time
Writing wFords to songs from meCmories of his past
CHe'd tell me bout the way it was and IC'd find the perfect rhyme
And I couldn't belFieve how we wrote our songs Cso fast
I never knGew an old man could be Fso full of life
The lGove we had was so hard to exFplain
And GI remember how the tears fell when he sFpoke of his late wife
And I'd gGive him my 6-string to ease his Fpain
 COhG,  way bacFk when
 CHe was 6G5 and I was F10
 And CI will never bGe as fFree again
   COGh, way back Fwhen
Instrumental Bridge (Solo): D, F, C, G, D, F, C, G
And then in late November
I knocked oFn his cabin door, I kGnocked and knocked but Joshua never cFame
And GI still remember, how he laFyed there on the floor
And GI went home a-cryin' in the Frain
 COhG,  way bacFk when
 CHe was 6G5 and I was F10
 And CI will never bGe as fFree again
   COGh, way back Fwhen
   COGh, way back Fwhen
   COGh, way back Fwhen

All chords in this song (3)

🎸 Tips from players

Got a tip for playing this song — capo position, easier chords, strumming? Be the first to share one.

Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

Joshua

by Shawn Mullins

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 9 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

This is how I play it - I'm pretty sure the song's capo 9, but it's a bit tight for me.

I play it Capo on 4th fret, this sounds pretty good to me. Pretty sure it's in E as well.

C C

Joshua was an old man, his beard like mountain snow

F C

And when I was a boy we'd have jam sessions

C C

I'd sneak off to old Sharptop, with my guitar I would go

F C

When I should have been at school, learnin' my lessons

And he'd sip a little moonshine

And I'd smoke a corncob pipe

G F

And we'd pick all day until our fingers bled

And right around supper time

I'd run home in the night

G F G

Just in time to get a whoppin' from my Dad

C C

My friend Joshua tells me that picking wont pay the rent

F C

Well I set out to prove him wrong in time

C C

I dont guess I can recall all the hours that I spent

F C

Just beating on that old flat top of mine

Me and my friend Joshua lord

We must have played them all

G F

And I got to where I could put the old man to shame

G F

I don't guess it ever seemed to bother Josh at all

G F G

We still loved to pick 'em just the same

C G F

Oh, way back when

C G F

He was 65 and I was 10

C G F

And I will never be as free again

C G F

Oh, way back when

C C

The summer flew by quickly and Josh and I spent our time

F C

Writing words to songs from memories of his past

C C

He'd tell me bout the way it was and I'd find the perfect rhyme

F C

And I couldn't believe how we wrote our songs so fast

G F

I never knew an old man could be so full of life

G F

The love we had was so hard to explain

G F

And I remember how the tears fell when he spoke of his late wife

G F

And I'd give him my 6-string to ease his pain

C G F

Oh, way back when

C G F

He was 65 and I was 10

C G F

And I will never be as free again

C G F

Oh, way back when

Instrumental Bridge (Solo): D, F, C, G, D, F, C, G

And then in late November

F G F

I knocked on his cabin door, I knocked and knocked but Joshua never came

G F

And I still remember, how he layed there on the floor

G F

And I went home a-cryin' in the rain

C G F

Oh, way back when

C G F

He was 65 and I was 10

C G F

And I will never be as free again

C G F

Oh, way back when

C G F

Oh, way back when

C G F

Oh, way back when

About Joshua Chords by Shawn Mullins

Learn how to play Joshua by Shawn Mullins with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Joshua chords”, “Joshua guitar chords”, or “Shawn Mullins Joshua chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Joshua chords and for experienced players who want accurate Joshua lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, C, F, G, D.

FAQ — Joshua by Shawn Mullins

How do I play "Joshua" by Shawn Mullins on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Joshua" by Shawn Mullins on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Joshua" by Shawn Mullins free?

Yes. The chords for "Joshua" by Shawn Mullins are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Joshua" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Joshua" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Joshua"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Joshua" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Joshua" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Joshua" by Shawn Mullins with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Shawn Mullins below.

What key is "Joshua" in?

The chords for "Joshua" show the original chord names (including E, C, F, G, D). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.