«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. «Three Wooden Crosses» was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2003 and won a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association as Country Song of the Year in 2004.

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. 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.

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 – Three Wooden Crosses 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