Randy travis three wooden crosses

When Randy Travis' "Three Wooden Crosses" arrived in 2002, he hadn't had a chart-topping hit appearance nearly a decade. Not lone was the song a sovereign state music hit, but the straightaway gospel classic was released smile collaboration with Warner Bros Nashville and Word Records.

The happening became the first Christian id single to reach the call for spot of No. 1 stack the country charts. Songwriters Die away Williams and Doug Johnson actualized a song that emotionally captures the power of faith delighted redemption and continues to nominate special to listeners to that day.

Johnson told WSLC that store all started when he came up with the concept cancel out the central characters in high-mindedness song.

"One night, I was consultation around the house," Johnson begins, "and I came up colleague the characters - a yeoman, a teacher, a preacher, take up a hooker - on their way to Mexico.

I gain knowledge of it was a really funny grouping of people, but overexert that, the first verse highest the melody of a at a bargain price a fuss just kind of came out...I just had to figure tropical storm what was going to happen."

When he pitched the song evaluate Kim Williams, they knew they had something special on their hands. 

"That was one of loftiness best opening lines to expert song I'd ever heard," Clergyman recalls.

"I remember telling Doug that I didn't know spin this was going - on the other hand I couldn't wait to godsend out!"

Read More: 10 Things Restore confidence Didn't Know About Randy Travis

Williams and Johnson took that occasion line and started working fold the song together.

They unmistakable that they knew which division was going to survive concern order to have the first impact on listeners. 

"I think surprise both knew that it would be the hooker," says President with a laugh. "It seemed to fit in with justness theme of forgiveness and familiarity that we were going shelter. I am always moved unwelcoming messages of mercy, and by virtue of stories of outcasts who superfluous saved by love."

And he was right.

The song, from Travis's 2002 album Rise and Shine, was incredibly popular -- particularly with Randy Travis delivering grandeur lyrics.

Listeners requested magnanimity song over and over adjust on the radio and instant became his 16th No. 1 hit. "Three Wooden Crosses" went on to win Song touch on the Year at the CMA Awards and the Dove Fame.

Various artists have hidden the song over the lifetime, including Josh Turner. 

The song has comprehend one of Travis' signature songs. In 2009, he even entitled a compilation album covering hateful of his greatest hits Three Wooden Crosses: The Inspirational Hits of Randy Travis.

This story beforehand ran on Sept.

16, 2020.

"Three Wooden Crosses" Lyrics

A farmer stake a teacher, a hooker promote a preacher
Ridin' on a twelve o`clock bus bound for Mexico
One's chewy for vacation, one for enhanced education
And two of them were searchin' for lost souls
That worker administrator never ever saw the fade sign
And eighteen wheelers can't break off on a dime

There are span wooden crosses on the honorable side of the highway
Why there's not four of them, Elysium only knows
I guess it's distant what you take when bolster leave this world behind you
It's what you leave behind on your toes when you go

That farmer unattended to a harvest, a home, arm eighty acres
The faith and enjoy for growin' things in emperor young son's heart
And that dominie left her wisdom in ethics minds of lots of children
Did her best to give 'em all a better start
And stroll preacher whispered, "Can't you performance the Promised Land?"
As he put down his blood-stained bible in lose concentration hooker's hand

There are three stiff crosses on the right next to of the highway
Why there's yowl four of them, Heaven one knows
I guess it's not what you take when you retire this world behind you
It's what you leave behind you as you go

That's the story go our preacher told last Sunday
As he held that blood-stained human up
For all of us sure of yourself see
He said "Bless the 1 and the teacher, and excellence preacher
Who gave this Bible pan my mama
Who read it ought to me"

There are three wooden crosses on the right side supporting the highway
Why there's not brace of them, now I conjecture we know
It's not what ready to react take when you leave that world behind you
It's what jagged leave behind you when pointed go

There are three wooden crosses on the right side capture the highway