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Three Wooden Crosses

Chords

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[Intro]
C   C/B   Am   Am7/G
[Verse 1]
CA farmer and a teacherC/B,   a Amhooker and a preacherAm7/G  
Fridin' on a midnight bus Cbound for MexiGco
One was Cheaded for vacationC/B, one for Amhigher educationAm7/G  
and Ftwo of them were Gsearchin' for lost Csouls
[Pre-chorus 1]
That Dmdriver never ever saw the sGtop sign
and Dmeighteen-wheelers can't stop on a Gdime.Gsus4  
[Chorus]
There are Cthree wooden C/Bcrosses,
on the Amright side of the Am7/Ghighway
FWhy there's not four of them, CHeaven only Gknows
I guess it's, Cnot what you C/Btake
when you Amleave this world bAm7/Gehind you
It's Fwhat you leave beGhind you when you Cgo
[Verse 2]
CThat farmer left a harvestC/B,   a Amhome and eighty acresAm7/G  
the Ffaith and love for growin' things
Cin his young sons Gheart
And that Cteacher left her wisdomC/B  
in the Amminds of lots of childrenAm7/G  
Did her Fbest to give'em Gall a better Cstart
[Pre-chorus]
And that Dmpreacher whispered,
"Can't you see that Gpromised land?"
as he laid his Dmblood-stained bible
in that hookers GhandGsus4  
[Chorus]
There are Cthree wooden C/Bcrosses
on the Amright side of the Am7/Ghighway
FWhy there's not four of them, CHeaven only Gknows
I guess it's, Cnot what you C/Btake
when you Amleave this world bAm7/Gehind you
it's Fwhat you leave beGhind you when you Cgo
[Bridge]
That's the Amstory that our Gpreacher told last FSunday,
as he Cheld that blood-stained bible up
for Gall of us to Gsus4see
He said, bless the Amfarmer, and the teAm7/Gacher,
and that Fpreacher
Who Fgave this DmBible to my Momma, Who Gread it to Gsus4me
[Chorus]
There are Cthree wooden C/Bcrosses
on the Amright side of the Am7/Ghighway
Fwhy there's not four of them, Cnow I guess we Gknow
CIt's not what you C/Btake,
when you Amleave this world bAm7/Gehind you,
It's Fwhat you leave beGhind you when you Cgo
[Outro]
There are Cthree wooden C/Bcrosses
on the Amright side Am7/Gof the Chighway

All chords in this song (8)

The story behind the song

"Three Wooden Crosses" tells a powerful story of four strangers on a midnight bus trip to Mexico: a farmer, a teacher, a prostitute, and a preacher. When a tragic accident claims three lives, the song poignantly asks why only three crosses mark the roadside, hinting at a deeper message of salvation and legacy. Released in 2002 on Randy Travis's album Rise and Shine, it became a significant song in his career. It's a narrative that invites reflection on faith, purpose, and what we leave behind.

AI-written from these sources:Three Wooden Crosses — Wikipedia ↗Randy Travis — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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Three Wooden Crosses

by Randy Travis

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

C/B

Am7/G

Gsus4

[Intro]

C C/B Am Am7/G

[Verse 1]

C C/B Am Am7/G

A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher

F C G

ridin' on a midnight bus bound for Mexico

C C/B Am Am7/G

One was headed for vacation, one for higher education

F G C

and two of them were searchin' for lost souls

[Pre-chorus 1]

Dm G

That driver never ever saw the stop sign

Dm G Gsus4

and eighteen-wheelers can't stop on a dime.

[Chorus]

C C/B

There are three wooden crosses,

Am Am7/G

on the right side of the highway

F C G

Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows

C C/B

I guess it's, not what you take

Am Am7/G

when you leave this world behind you

F G C

It's what you leave behind you when you go

[Verse 2]

C C/B Am Am7/G

That farmer left a harvest, a home and eighty acres

the faith and love for growin' things

C G

in his young sons heart

C C/B

And that teacher left her wisdom

Am Am7/G

in the minds of lots of children

F G C

Did her best to give'em all a better start

[Pre-chorus]

And that preacher whispered,

"Can't you see that promised land?"

as he laid his blood-stained bible

G Gsus4

in that hookers hand

[Chorus]

C C/B

There are three wooden crosses

Am Am7/G

on the right side of the highway

F C G

Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows

C C/B

I guess it's, not what you take

Am Am7/G

when you leave this world behind you

F G C

it's what you leave behind you when you go

[Bridge]

Am G F

That's the story that our preacher told last Sunday,

as he held that blood-stained bible up

G Gsus4

for all of us to see

Am Am7/G

He said, bless the farmer, and the teacher,

and that preacher

F Dm G Gsus4

Who gave this Bible to my Momma, Who read it to me

[Chorus]

C C/B

There are three wooden crosses

Am Am7/G

on the right side of the highway

F C G

why there's not four of them, now I guess we know

C C/B

It's not what you take,

Am Am7/G

when you leave this world behind you,

F G C

It's what you leave behind you when you go

[Outro]

C C/B

There are three wooden crosses

Am Am7/G C

on the right side of the highway

About Three Wooden Crosses Chords by Randy Travis

Learn how to play Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Three Wooden Crosses chords”, “Three Wooden Crosses guitar chords”, or “Randy Travis Three Wooden Crosses chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Three Wooden Crosses chords and for experienced players who want accurate Three Wooden Crosses lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, C/B, Am, Am7/G, A, F.

FAQ — Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis

How do I play "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis free?

Yes. The chords for "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Three Wooden Crosses" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Three Wooden Crosses" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Three Wooden Crosses"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Three Wooden Crosses" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Three Wooden Crosses" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Randy Travis below.

What key is "Three Wooden Crosses" in?

The chords for "Three Wooden Crosses" show the original chord names (including C, C/B, Am, Am7/G, A, F). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.