"Three Wooden Crosses" | ||||
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Single by Randy Travis | ||||
from the album Rise and Shine | ||||
Released | November 25, 2002 | |||
Genre | Country gospel | |||
Length | 3:21 | |||
Label | Word Music/Curb | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kim Williams Doug Johnson | |||
Producer(s) | Kyle Lehning | |||
Randy Travis singles chronology | ||||
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"Three Wooden Crosses" is a song written by Kim Williams and Doug Johnson, and recorded by American country music singer Randy Travis. It was released in November 2002 from his album, Rise and Shine . The song became Travis' 16th and final Number One single, his first since "Whisper My Name" in 1994. [1] "Three Wooden Crosses" was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2003 [2] and won a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association as Country Song of the Year in 2004. [3]
The song describes four passengers on a midnight bus traveling from the United States to Mexico: a farmer on vacation, a teacher seeking higher education, a hooker, and a preacher, both of whom were "searching for lost souls". The bus is involved in a fatal accident when the bus driver does not see a stop sign and the bus is hit by an 18-wheeler which kills three of the four passengers; the lyrics ask why there are only three crosses and not four. (There is no mention of what happened to the drivers of either vehicle.)
The song mentions that the farmer and teacher were killed in the wreck, with the farmer leaving a harvest and a son who would follow in his footsteps, and the teacher leaving wisdom with the children she taught. It also mentions that the preacher laid his bloodstained Bible in the hands of the hooker, asking her if she could "see the Promised Land" prior to her own death.
The end of the song reveals that the story about the passengers was told to the narrator by a preacher during a Sunday church service. In a twist, however, it reveals that the preacher who told the story is not the preacher from the bus, but rather the son of the hooker, holding up the bloodstained Bible as proof. This reveals that the hooker was the passenger that survived the accident, who read the Bible that had been given to her by the dying preacher to her son, leading him to eventually become a preacher himself.
Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "beautifully written tale of faith and redemption." She goes on to say that Travis has never sounded better, "and his warm baritone perfectly conveys every nuance in the lyric." [4]
"Three Wooden Crosses" debuted at number 52 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated December 7, 2002. It charted for 34 weeks on that chart, and reached number 1 on the chart dated May 24, 2003, giving Travis his sixteenth Number One single, his first Billboard Number One since "Whisper My Name" in 1994. [1] In addition, it reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (peaking at #31), making it his first and (excluding guest singles) only top-40 hit on that chart.
Chart (2002–2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [5] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [6] | 31 |
Chart (2003) | Position |
---|---|
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [7] | 17 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [8] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Randy Bruce Traywick, known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer and songwriter, as well as a film and television actor. Active since 1979, he has recorded over 20 studio albums and charted over 50 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including sixteen that reached the number-one position.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1987.
Rise and Shine is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released on October 15, 2002 by Word Records. It was produced the single "Three Wooden Crosses", which in 2003 became his first Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart since 1994's "Whisper My Name". The only other single release from this album was "Pray for the Fish", which peaked at #48.
Trey Edwin Bruce is an American songwriter. Bruce has Fourteen ASCAP Awards for the most played songs at radio and has written ten Number One singles on the Billboard. "Look Heart, No Hands", "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" and "Whisper My Name" by Randy Travis, and "How Your Love Makes Me Feel" by Diamond Rio, "A Little Bit of You" by Lee Roy Parnell among others. He has also co-written numerous singles for other artists, including ZZ Top, Black Stone Cherry, Faith Hill, Leann Rimes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deana Carter, Trisha Yearwood, Marty Stuart, Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Bruce received a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Original Song in 2001 along with co-writers John Bettis and Brian D. Siewart.
"It's Just a Matter of Time" is a Pop song written by Brook Benton, Clyde Otis, and Belford Hendricks. The original recording by Benton topped the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart in 1959 and peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 pop chart, the first in a string of hits for Benton that ran through 1970.
"Forever and Ever, Amen" is a song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in March 1987 as the first single from the album Always & Forever and became Travis's third No. 1 single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.
"I Told You So" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Randy Travis from his 1987 album, Always & Forever. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard and Canadian RPM country singles charts in June 1988. Travis had first recorded it on his 1983 album Live at the Nashville Palace under his stage name "Randy Ray". It became a local hit and one of his most requested songs at the club. In 2007, the song was covered by Carrie Underwood on her album Carnival Ride. Her version was released in February 2009 and was re-recorded and re-released in March as a duet with Travis. Underwood's and Travis' duet peaked at number two on the U.S. country charts in 2009.
"Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Glen Burtnik. First recorded by Mark Collie on his 1995 album Tennessee Plates, it was later recorded by Randy Travis. Released in October 1998 as the third single from his 1998 CD, You and You Alone, it peaked at number 2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, behind "Stand Beside Me" by Jo Dee Messina.
"He Walked on Water" is a song written by Allen Shamblin, and recorded by American country music singer Randy Travis. It was released in April 1990 as the third single from the album No Holdin' Back. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 1 on Canada's RPM country chart.
"What'll You Do About Me" is a country music song written by Dennis Linde. It was originally recorded in 1984 by McGuffey Lane and then by Steve Earle. It has also been recorded by Randy Travis on his 1987 album, Always & Forever, The Forester Sisters in 1992, and Doug Supernaw, the latter of whom took it to Top 20 on the Billboard country charts in early 1995.
I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis is a compilation album released by country music artist Randy Travis in 2009. It consists of 32 songs overall in a two disc set. Two of the songs were never before released on albums. Travis' numerous number-one hits including "I Told You So", Deeper Than the Holler", "Forever and Ever, Amen" and "Three Wooden Crosses" are included on the album along with duets with country legends Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Travis' cover of Roger Miller's "King of the Road" is also included along with two tracks from his previous studio album Around the Bend.
"Out of My Bones" is a song recorded by American country music singer Randy Travis. It was released in March 1998 as the lead-off single from his CD You and You Alone. The song peaked at number two on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, while it was a number-one hit in Canada. It was written by Gary Burr, Robin Lerner, and Sharon Vaughn.
"The Hole" is a song written by Skip Ewing and James Dean Hicks, and recorded by American country music singer Randy Travis. It was released in June 1998 as the second single from his album You and You Alone. It peaked at number 9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 4 in Canada.
"Point of Light" is a song written by Don Schlitz and Thom Schuyler, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in May 1991 as the lead-off single from his album High Lonesome. It was his twenty-first single overall. It charted at #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and hit #1 on the Canadian RPM country Tracks chart.
"Whisper My Name" is a song written by Trey Bruce, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in June 1994 as the second single from his album This Is Me. It became a Number One country hit for him in both the United States and Canada.
"Too Gone Too Long" is a song written by Gene Pistilli, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in November 1987 as the third single from his album Always & Forever. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks, becoming his fifth number 1 hit in the United States. It also topped the Canadian RPM country Tracks chart.
"Honky Tonk Moon" is a song written by Dennis O'Rourke, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in June 1988 as the lead off single from his album Old 8x10. It became his seventh and fifth consecutive number 1 hit in the United States. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"A Man Ain't Made of Stone" is a song written by Gary Burr, Robin Lerner, and Franne Golde, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in August 1999 as the lead single and title track from his album A Man Ain't Made of Stone. It reached number 16 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 24 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks. It also peaked at number 82 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it a minor crossover hit.
"Stranger in My Mirror" is a song written by Skip Ewing and Kim Williams, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in March 1999 as the fourth and final single from his album You and You Alone. It peaked at number 16 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and at number 20 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Randy Travis is an American country music singer. His singles discography comprises 70 singles and 36 music videos.