"Jesus, Take the Wheel" is a song written by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, and recorded by American country music artist Carrie Underwood. It was released on October 18, 2005 as the first single from Underwood's debut album Some Hearts (2005). The ballad tells of a woman seeking help from Jesus in an emergency and surrendering control to a higher power. "Jesus, Take the Wheel" became the first of Underwood's record-setting 15 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, spending six weeks at the number one position. The song enjoyed crossover success, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart and charting on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It also became a top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Jesus, Take the Wheel" has sold over 2.743 million copies in the United States as of February 2016 and has been certified three-times Platinum by the RIAA. Underwood has performed "Jesus, Take the Wheel" during multiple awards show appearances and has included the song on the set list for all of her headlining concert tours. "Jesus, Take the Wheel" won the Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song and it won Single of the Year at the 2005 Academy of Country Music Awards, amongst other nominations at these and other award ceremonies. The song ranked number four on CMT's "40 Greatest Songs of the Decade". Composition "Jesus, Take the Wheel" is a Christian country song that lasts for three minutes and forty-six seconds. The song is composed in the key of A major and is set in the time signature of 4/4 common time with a moderately slow tempo of 76 beats per minute. Underwood's vocal range spans over two octaves from F to G. The song was written at co-writer Hillary Lindsey's house and is centered around the premise of what happens "when Jesus takes the wheel," a phrase Gordie Sampson brought to the writing session as a possible title. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who survives a car crash, seemingly as part of a miracle of divine intervention. Personal stories from the writers' pasts influenced details of the song's lyrics. Upon the song's release, some critics questioned the marketability of launching Underwood's career with an overtly faith-based song. Critical reception In a review of Some Hearts, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic