About the song
“Three Wooden Crosses,” a poignant and deeply moving song penned by Kim Williams and Doug Johnson, stands as a masterpiece in Randy Travis’s illustrious career in country music. Released in November 2002 from his album “Rise and Shine,” this song not only marked Travis’s return to the top of the charts but also solidified his status as a storyteller of profound narratives.
The song unfolds with a gripping tale set on a midnight bus journey from the United States to Mexico. On board are four diverse passengers: a farmer on vacation, a teacher seeking higher education, a hooker, and a preacher, each with their own motivations and hopes. Tragically, their journey takes a devastating turn when the bus collides with an 18-wheeler after the driver misses a stop sign. Three of the passengers—the farmer, the teacher, and the preacher—meet their untimely end, leaving behind unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss.
The lyrics poignantly question why there are only three wooden crosses to mark the lives lost, leaving the fate of the fourth passenger—the hooker—unclear until later in the song. The farmer is remembered for his harvest and his legacy passed down to his son, while the teacher is mourned for the knowledge she imparted to her students. The preacher’s act of passing his bloodstained Bible to the hooker before he dies adds a layer of spiritual depth and redemption to the narrative.
In a surprising twist that underscores the song’s theme of faith and redemption, the narrator reveals that the preacher who shared this story in a Sunday church service is not the preacher from the bus, but the son of the hooker who survived the accident. Holding up the bloodstained Bible given to her by the dying preacher, she recounts how it led her son to a path of righteousness and eventually to becoming a preacher himself.
“Three Wooden Crosses” received universal acclaim for its powerful storytelling and Travis’s emotive delivery. Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine praised it as a “beautifully written tale of faith and redemption,” noting Travis’s exceptional vocal performance that captures the essence of every lyrical nuance.
The song’s chart success further underscores its impact, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in May 2003, marking Travis’s sixteenth and final number-one single. It also crossed over to mainstream charts, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, a testament to its broad appeal and Travis’s enduring influence as a country music legend.
“Three Wooden Crosses” not only resonated with audiences for its emotional depth and profound message but also cemented Randy Travis’s legacy as a storyteller whose music transcends generations, leaving an indelible mark on the fabric of country music history.
Video
Lyrics
A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher
Ridin’ on a midnight bus bound for Mexico
One’s headed for vacation, one for higher education
And two of them were searchin’ for lost souls
That driver never ever saw the stop sign
And eighteen wheelers can’t stop on a dime
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway
Why there’s not four of them, Heaven only knows
I guess it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you
It’s what you leave behind you when you go
That farmer left a harvest, a home and eighty acres
The faith and love for growin’ things in his young son’s heart
And that teacher left her wisdom in the minds of lots of children
Did her best to give ’em all a better start
And that preacher whispered, “Can’t you see the Promised Land?”
As he laid his blood-stained bible in that hooker’s hand
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway
Why there’s not four of them, Heaven only knows
I guess it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you
It’s what you leave behind you when you go
That’s the story that our preacher told last Sunday
As he held that blood-stained bible up
For all of us to see
He said “Bless the farmer, and the teacher, and the preacher
Who gave this Bible to my mama
Who read it to me”
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway
Why there’s not four of them, now I guess we know
It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you
It’s what you leave behind you when you go
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway