Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
Idaho
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What else can a poor man make?
So I gave up a life of crime
I gave it to a friend of mine
Something else was on my mind
The only ghost I'm haunted by
I hear her howling down below
Idaho, oh, Idaho
Wolves, oh wolves, oh can't you see?
Ain't no wolf can sing like me
And if it could then I suppose
He belongs in Idaho
Packs of dogs and cigarettes
For those who ain't done packing yet
My clothes are packed and I want to go
Idaho, oh, Idaho
I'm out at sea for seven years
I got your letter in Tangier
I thought that I'd been on a boat
Till that single word you wrote
That single word it landlocked me
Turned the masts to cedar trees
And the winds to gravel roads
Idaho, oh, Idaho
Turned the wind to gravel roads
Idaho, oh, Idaho
The song “Idaho” by Josh Ritter tells a story of a man who has had his fair share of love and mistakes in life. He gave up his life of crime and passed it on to a friend. Though he did so, something else was on his mind, as the only ghost he is haunted by howls beneath Idaho. This line can be interpreted in different ways, but it could mean that the singer has an ex-lover or a memory that he can’t let go of that reminds him of Idaho. The chorus highlights the singer's love for Idaho and even goes ahead to compare himself to wolves, saying no wolf can sing like him, but if they could, they would belong in Idaho. The singer is eager and ready to pack his clothes and hit the road to Idaho, just like others who still have their clothes unpacked.
Later, the singer reveals that he was at sea for seven years and received a letter in Tangier. It is at this point that the lyrics take a more reflective tone, as if the singer is saddened by something he read in the letter. He reminisces that he thought he had been on a boat till that single word which was meant to be a location, "Idaho," struck him, and that single word changed everything. The last line, "Turned the wind to gravel roads, Idaho, oh, Idaho" could be interpreted as the singer being metaphorically uprooted from a settled place or a life he had been accustomed to and now heads towards a new path or unknown journey.
Line by Line Meaning
All that love all those mistakes
Despite having been in love and making many mistakes along the way, the singer has no choice but to keep moving forward.
What else can a poor man make?
Given the singer's difficult circumstances, it's unclear how he could have made better decisions.
So I gave up a life of crime
The singer recognizes the negative impact of his past choices and decides to make a positive change by leaving his criminal ways behind.
I gave it to a friend of mine
The artist chooses to entrust his criminal life to a friend rather than completely letting it go.
Something else was on my mind
Despite having made a significant life change, the artist is still preoccupied with other concerns.
The only ghost I'm haunted by
Although the singer is not literally haunted, he feels a significant sense of loss for someone who is no longer in his life.
I hear her howling down below
The singer is reminded of his lost love through memories or other stimuli that cause him emotional pain.
Idaho, oh, Idaho
The place name Idaho represents a desired location or state of being, perhaps one where the artist can escape his past and start anew.
Wolves, oh wolves, oh can't you see?
The artist addresses wolves as some sort of natural force that is unaware of or indifferent to his struggles.
Ain't no wolf can sing like me
While the wolves may have their own special abilities, the artist believes in his own unique talents.
And if it could then I suppose
Even if the wolves were able to sing as well as the singer, it wouldn't make much difference to his current situation.
He belongs in Idaho
The singer associates the wolves with Idaho, possibly because wolves are associated with the wilderness of the western United States.
Packs of dogs and cigarettes
The singer is packing for a trip, perhaps to Idaho, and brings along only two essential items: dogs for companionship and cigarettes for addiction.
For those who ain't done packing yet
Some people might need more time to prepare, but the singer is ready to leave at a moment's notice.
My clothes are packed and I want to go
The singer is anxious to leave his current situation and start anew in Idaho.
I'm out at sea for seven years
The artist has been away from his desired location for a very long time and has likely faced many struggles and hardships in the meantime.
I got your letter in Tangier
The artist receives a letter from someone, possibly his lost love, while in Tangier, Morocco, further emphasizing the geographical and emotional distance between them.
I thought that I'd been on a boat
Before reading the letter, the singer believed that he had been navigating the challenges of life fairly well.
Till that single word you wrote
The contents of the letter completely change the singer's outlook on life.
That single word it landlocked me
One word in the letter makes the artist feel trapped and unable to move forward as he had hoped.
Turned the masts to cedar trees
The letter causes the artist to view his own life and adventures as insignificant, with his boat's masts becoming mere natural features in his mind.
And the winds to gravel roads
The letter also makes it seem as if the artist's life journey has been one dictated by chance, with winding and uncertain paths guiding his fate.
Idaho, oh, Idaho
The singer's thoughts return to Idaho, which represents a chance to start anew and escape the feeling of being trapped by life circumstances.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Joshua Benjamin Ritter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind