Three Wooden Crosses

Infobox Single
Name = Three Wooden Crosses


Artist = Randy Travis
from Album = Rise and Shine
B-side =
Released = December 2002
Format = CD single
Recorded =
Genre = Country/Christian
Length = 3:21
Label = Word Music/Curb Records
Writer = Kim Williams, Doug Johnson
Producer = Kyle Lehning
Certification =
Last single = "America Will Always Stand"
(2001)
This single = "Three Wooden Crosses"
(2003)
Next single = "Pray For The Fish"
(2003)

"Three Wooden Crosses" is a single by American country music singer-songwriter Randy Travis. The first single from his 2002 album, "Rise and Shine", it became Travis' sixteenth Number One single, and his first since "Whisper My Name" in 1994.cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1471918/randy-travis-scores-first-no-1-since-1994.jhtml |title=Randy Travis Scores First No. 1 Since 1994 |accessdate=2008-05-16 |last=Shelburne |first=Craig |date=2003-05-19] In addition, it was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2003. [ [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0920623.html 2003 CMA Awards – Infoplease.com] ]

Content

The song describes a fatal late night bus accident, on a bus traveling from the USA to Mexico. The song describes four passengers, a "farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher" as the song puts it. When the bus crashes, There are memorials to the teacher, the farmer, and the preacher at the roadside- Three Wooden Crosses. The song then recounts how each earned their memorial through their services to the community. At this point in the song the singer questions why there isn't a fourth cross, as a memorial to the prostitute, until it is explained that the preacher, as he was dying, gave his Bible to the prostitute. The song concludes with the revelation that story was told to the singer by the son of the prostitute involved in the crash, who is now a preacher. She survived the crash and brought her son up as a Christian, reading him the Bible given to her by the preacher killed in the crash.

Chart performance

"Three Wooden Crosses" debuted at #52 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated December 7, 2002. It charted for 34 weeks on that chart, and reached #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, and his first overall Number One since 1999's "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man", which reached the top of the former-"Radio & Records" (now known as "Mediabase 24/7") country charts. In addition, it crossed over to the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, peaking at #31 on that chart.

Charts

External links

* [http://www.acctop40.com/goout.asp?u=http://rope.acctop40.com/year_end_charts/2003top50chart.html Bob Kingsley's 2003 Year-End Countdown]

References

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