Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American sin… Read Full Bio ↴Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age.

Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

Joshua Fit the Battle
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

Good morning sister Mary
Good morning brother John
Well I want to stop and talk with you
want to tell you how I come along

I know you've heard about Joshua
He was the son of Nun
He never stopped his work until
Until the work was done

God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

You may talk about your men of Gideon
You may brag about your men of Saul
There's none like good old Joshua
At the battle of Jericho

Up to the walls of Jericho
He marched with spear in hand
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
'Cause the battle is in my hands

God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

You may talk about your men of Gideon
You may brag about your king of Saul
There none like Joshua
At the battle of Jericho

They tell me, great God that Joshua's spear
Was well nigh twelve feet long
And upon his hip was a double edged sword
And his mouth was a gospel horn

Yet bold and brave he stood
Salvation in his hand
Go blow them ram horns Joshua cried
'Cause the devil can't do you no harm

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

Up to the walls of Jericho
He marched with spear in hand
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
'Cause the battle is in my hands

Then the lamb ram sheep horns began to blow
The trumpets began to sound
Old Joshua shouted glory
And the walls came tumblin' down

God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down

Down, down, down, down, down
Tumblin' down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Elvis Presley's song "Joshua Fit the Battle" tell the story of the Biblical account in which Joshua led the Israelites to bring down the walls of Jericho. The repetition of the phrase "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho" reinforces the message that Joshua was a brave and determined leader who successfully led his people to achieve their objective.

The lyrics also reference the fact that Joshua carried a spear and a double-edged sword, emphasizing his physical strength and courage. His command for the ram horns to be blown assisted in breaking down the walls of Jericho, and the overall message of the song is one of faith that with God's help, even the seemingly impossible can be accomplished.

In addition to its religious significance, "Joshua Fit the Battle" has been interpreted as a symbolic message of hope and perseverance for those facing difficult challenges in life. The song's use of repetition and powerful imagery is seen as a way to inspire listeners to push through adversity and never give up.

Line by Line Meaning

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Joshua fought in the battle of Jericho

Jericho Jericho
Repeat of the name of the location of the battle

And the walls come tumbling down
The walls of Jericho fell during the battle

God knows that
Acknowledgment of a higher power

Good morning sister Mary
Friendly greeting to a woman named Mary

Good morning brother John
Friendly greeting to a man named John

Well I want to stop and talk with you
The singer desires to have a conversation with Mary and John

want to tell you how I come along
The singer wants to update Mary and John on their current state

He was the son of Nun
Joshua's father's name was Nun

He never stopped his work until Until the work was done
Joshua was diligent and dedicated to completing his task

You may talk about your men of Gideon
Acknowledgment of other famous warriors

You may brag about your men of Saul
Acknowledgment of other famous kings

There's none like good old Joshua
Joshua is superior to the mentioned warriors and kings

Up to the walls of Jericho
Joshua approached the walls of Jericho

He marched with spear in hand
Joshua carried a spear during battle

Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
Joshua commanded for the ram horns to be blown

'Cause the battle is in my hands
Joshua was confident he would win the battle

They tell me, great God that Joshua's spear
Hearing about legends related to Joshua's spear

Was well nigh twelve feet long
Joshua's spear was almost 12 feet long

And upon his hip was a double edged sword
Joshua carried a double-edged sword on his hip

And his mouth was a gospel horn
Metaphorical description of Joshua's voice

Yet bold and brave he stood
Joshua was courageous

Salvation in his hand
Joshua had the power to save Israelites

'Cause the devil can't do you no harm
Joshua was protected by a higher power

Then the lamb ram sheep horns began to blow
Description of the sound of the ram horns

The trumpets began to sound
Other types of instruments were played during the battle

Old Joshua shouted glory
Joshua celebrated his victory

And the walls came tumblin’ down
The walls of Jericho fell during the battle

Down, down, down, down, down
Repeating the idea that the walls fell down

Tumblin' down
The falling of the walls of Jericho

Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ELVIS PRESLEY, UNKNOWN COMPOSER AUTHOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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