Fields of bronze

Davis, a former Lansing resident and frontman of Steppin’ In It, was in the mix until the show’s final episode.

The songwriter did, however, have an opportunity to share one of his own songs before he exited the competition. On Monday’s episode, Davis performed a rollicking rendition of “The Workingman’s Hymn,” a tune he originally recorded for his 2011 album, “Magnolia Belles.” (The title is a sendup to Lansing’s Magnolia Street, where he lived with his “belles,” his wife and daughter.)

“You’re a great songwriter, dude,” said celebrity judge Blake Shelton. “That song is stuck in my head now.”

“This isn’t just you writing a song,” added celebrity coach Adam Levine. “This is you writing a fantastic song.”

Davis followed up that performance with a stunning arrangement of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

“That was so heart-warming,” said celebrity judge Christina Aguilera. “It was right on.”

Monday’s show also featured duets by the contestants and their celebrity coaches. While those performances were mostly filler for the two-hour show and not part of the competition, Davis, along with Levine, used the opportunity to deliver a spirited version of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” accompanied by legendary singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

The single for “The Workingman’s Hymn” topped out at No. 9 on the iTunes charts, narrowly qualifying Davis for the iTunes bonus. Each iTunes purchase counts as a vote for that artist, and landing a song in the top 10 multiplies those votes by 10.

“Hallelujah” fell just short of the top 10, stalling out at No. 12. Sixteen-year-old folk rock phenom Sawyer Fredericks landed both of his songs in the top 10, with back-to-back singles in the No. 2 and 3 spots. Country singer Meghan Linsey reached No. 5 with her original song, “Change My Mind,” while her second single ran out of steam at the No. 14 spot. Fourth place finisher Koryn Hawthorne’s singles peaked at 15 and 29.

Despite his impressive Monday evening performances, Davis couldn’t overcome the formidable Internet following of Fredericks and Hawthorne, putting him in third place when the final votes were tallied.

While he didn’t emerge as champion, the third place finish is an impressive capstone for an improbable run. While Davis has performed for years as a singer, he never considered his voice as his foremost musical asset.

“I was surprised when (“The Voice”) approached me,” Davis told City Pulse last month. “I’ve always thought of myself as a songwriter first, then an instrumentalist, then a singer.”

Davis had a few brushes with elimination along the way. On the show’s March 9 episode, Joshua Davis faced off against singer Brian Johnson, with the loser facing elimination. Shelton chose Johnson over Davis, but Levine jumped in and stole Davis for his team.

On April 21’s results show, Davis found himself in the bottom three and in danger of elimination once again. Davis was saved by viewers, who cast their votes via Twitter, and bounced back the next week with one of his strongest performances of the season, an intimate version of Sting’s “Fields of Gold.”

Being featured on a national platform like “The Voice” could be a game changer for Davis, whose musical future was uncertain after the break-up of Steppin’ In It, the Lansing-based band he had fronted for 15 years.

Of course, it’s hard to say if Davis will be able to parlay this exposure into long-term success. Even the show’s champions have a spotty record in terms of commercially successful post-”The Voice” careers. Even so, Davis seems to be enjoying the moment as best he can.

“This has been a life-changing experience for my family and me,” Davis wrote in a Facebook post addressed to his fans before the results show. “I´ve learned so much, made lifelong friends and had the opportunity to bring roots music to a wider audience, and it´s all because of your support.”