Along with his work in Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker recorded one studio album, entitled Back to Then, on Hidden Beach Recordings in 2002. In 2008, he signed to Capitol Nashville and charted his first solo single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", the first single from his first country album Learn to Live. Rucker has been a member of Hootie & the Blowfish since their original formation in 1989. He met fellow band members, Mark Bryan, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, and Dean Felber, while attending the University of South Carolina.
In 2001, he made his solo R&B debut album The Return of Mongo Slade for Atlantic Records. Because of contractual changes, it was never released by the label. Hidden Beach Recordings, an independent label, acquired the masters from Atlantic, releasing the album as Back to Then in July 2002. Rucker also portrayed a singing cowboy in a television commercial for the fast food chain Burger King, promoting their TenderCrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch sandwich in 2005; in the commercial, he sang a parody of "Big Rock Candy Mountain".
In early 2008, Rucker signed to Capitol Records Nashville as the beginning of a career in country music. His first country single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" (which he co-wrote with Clay Mills) debuted at #51 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs charts for the week of May 3, 2008, and it served as the lead-off single to an upcoming album for Capitol, Learn to Live.
For this album, Rucker worked with Frank Rogers, a record producer who has also produced for Brad Paisley and Trace Adkins. Rucker also made his Grand Ole Opry debut in July 2008. The single reached number one in September,[24] making Rucker the first solo, African-American artist to chart a number one country hit since Pride's "Night Games" in 1983.
Rucker sings to a crowd during an Operation Pacific Greetings tour concert. Learn to Live was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 6, 2009 and received a platinum certification on August 7, 2009. The album's second single, "It Won't Be Like This for Long", spent three weeks at the top of the country chart in mid-2009. Its follow-up, "Alright", became Rucker's third straight number one hit, making him the first singer to have his first three country singles reach number one since Wynonna in 1992. The album's fourth single, "History in the Making" was released in September and peaked at number three. The singles also crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 35, 36, 30, and 61.
Rucker's entry into the country world was met with some intrigue, largely because of his history as a rock musician and because he is African-American. Billboard magazine said that "there's a sense of purpose that makes Rucker feel like a member of the country family, rather than calculating interloper." Rucker made visits to various country stations around the US, explaining that he was aware that he was the "new kid on the block." Mike Culotta, the program director of the Tampa, Florida radio station WQYK-FM expected that Rucker would be "somebody who would have entitlement," but instead said that "Darius engaged everybody." When Rucker found that "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" went to number one, he cried. On November 11, 2009, Rucker won the Country Music Association New Artist of the Year award (formerly known as the Horizon Award), making him the first African American to do so since the award was introduced in 1981. Only one other African American has won at the CMAs: Charley Pride, who won entertainer of the year in 1971 and male vocalist in 1971 and 1972.
Rucker released his second country album, titled Charleston, SC 1966, on October 12, 2010. The title is inspired by Radney Foster's solo debut album, Del Rio, TX 1959. Its first single was "Come Back Song," which Rucker wrote with Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard. It was his fourth country number one as well as a number 37 hit on the Hot 100. The album's second single was "This", which was released to radio in November 2010 and also reached number one in the country chart. Rucker wrote it with Rogers and Kara DioGuardi. "I Got Nothin'" was the album's third single, peaking at number 18. Also included on the album is a duet with Brad Paisley titled "I Don't Care". Charleston, SC 1966 received a gold certification.
On December 14, 2011, CBSnews.com reported that Rucker was working on a third country album with recording set to begin January 2012 followed by the release of the album early in the year. The album's lead-off single, "True Believers", made its chart debut in September. On October 12, 2012, Rucker told Broadway's Electric Barnyard that his album would also be titled True Believers. "True Believers" peaked at number 18. Its second single is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Wagon Wheel" (previously made famous by Old Crow Medicine Show), featuring backing vocals from Lady Antebellum. "Wagon Wheel" reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in May 2013. True Believers was released on May 21, 2013. The album's third single, "Radio", was released to country radio on July 22, 2013. The album's fourth single, "Miss You", was released to country radio on February 3, 2014.
On October 2, 2012, Darius Rucker was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. Halfway through his set at the Opry that night he answered questions from the audience which included a question from Brad Paisley. Paisley said: "I have two questions. One, are you still the worst poker player in the world? And two, would you like to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry?" Rucker accepted, and it became official on October 16.
Rucker was a featured performer at the C2C: Country to Country festival in London on March 17, 2013. On News Years Day, January 1, 2013 he sang the National Anthem at the Outback Bowl in Tampa Florida. On May 11, 2013, Rucker was the speaker at the commencement ceremony for the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Before his speech, he received an honorary Doctorate of Music degree. Rucker also sang the national anthem at the NBA finals on June 16, 2013.
On December 6, 2013, it was announced that Rucker's version of Wagon Wheel had earned him a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. At the awards ceremony on January 26, 2014, Rucker won, becoming only the third African American recording act (the first being Charley Pride, the second being The Pointer Sisters) to win a vocal performance Grammy Award in a country music category.
On August 25, 2014, Rucker released a brand new single titled "Homegrown Honey" to country radio and to digital retailers. It serves as the lead single to his fourth country studio album, Southern Style, to be released on March 31, 2015. On September 15, 2014, it was announced that Rucker had completed his first Christmas album and that it would be released on October 27, 2014. Included is a collaboration with Sheryl Crow on "Baby, It's Cold Outside".
Don't
Darius Rucker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swore I wasn't coming back, said I'd had enough
Saw you in the rear view standing, fading from my life
But I wasn't turnin' 'round
No not this time
But don't think I don't think about it
Don't think I don't have regrets
Between the work and the hurt and the whiskey
Don't think I don't wonder 'bout
Could've been, should've been all worked out
I know what I felt, and I know what I said
But don't think I don't think about it
When we make choices, we gotta live with them
Heard you found a real good man and you married him
I wonder if sometimes I cross your mind
Where would we be today
If I never drove that car away?
But don't think I don't think about it
Don't think I don't have regrets
Don't think it don't get to me
Between the work and the hurt and the whiskey
Don't think I don't wonder 'bout
Could've been, should've been all worked out
Yeah I know what I felt, and I know what I said
But don't think I don't think about it
But don't think I don't think about it
But don't think I don't think about it
Don't think I don't have regrets
Don't think it don't get to me
Between the work and the hurt and the whiskey
Don't think I don't wonder 'bout
Could've been, should've been all worked out
I know what I felt, and I know what I said
But don't think I don't think about it, no no
Don't think I don't
Don't think I don't
The lyrics of Darius Rucker's song Don't Think I Don't Think About It express feelings of regret and nostalgia. The singer left a person they loved, and now they wonder what could have been if they had made a different choice. They've moved on with their life but still carry the weight of their decision. The first stanza paints a picture of the moment the singer left, seeing the person they loved in the rearview mirror. They swore they wouldn't go back, but the chorus reveals the truth - they think about what they left behind all the time.
The second stanza speaks to the consequences of choices. The person the singer left has moved on and is happy in a relationship with someone else. It's clear that the singer still cares for this person and wonders what their life could be like together. The line "If I never drove that car away?" shows the singer understands the gravity of their actions but is still living with the regret of their decision. The repetition of "But don't think I don't think about it" emphasizes how much the singer still thinks about the person they left behind.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of looking back at a past love and wondering what could have been. It acknowledges the weight of past decisions and the lingering thoughts that follow.
Line by Line Meaning
I left out in a cloud of taillights and dust
I drove away from you with great speed and determination, leaving behind a trail of dust.
Swore I wasn't coming back, said I'd had enough
I made a promise to never return, believing that I've had enough of our relationship.
Saw you in the rear view standing, fading from my life
I noticed you standing behind me as I drove away, slowly disappearing out of my life.
But I wasn't turnin' 'round, No not this time
Despite seeing you, I didn't have the courage or desire to turn back and give our relationship another shot.
Don't think I don't think about it
I frequently think about our relationship and what could have been.
Don't think I don't have regrets
I regret the decisions I made regarding our relationship.
Don't think it don't get to me
The memory of our relationship and its possible outcomes still affect me emotionally.
Between the work and the hurt and the whiskey
My struggles, pain, and alcohol consumption provide a constant reminder of our relationship and its consequences.
Don't think I don't wonder 'bout, Could've been, should've been all worked out
I often wonder what could have been and feel that our relationship could have had a different, positive outcome.
Yeah I know what I felt, and I know what I said
I am aware of what I felt and said during our relationship.
But don't think I don't think about it
I admit to constantly thinking about our relationship, despite my initial decision to leave and never return.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Clay Mills, Darius Rucker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kya Mae
LYRICS
If you think I could ever go a day without you
Five minutes without thinkin' about you
Don't
And if you wonder if it scares me
Thinkin' about forever with you, baby
I can tell you, baby, it don't, oh
'Cause every single mornin'
My eyes fall open on you
It's like my dreams keep goin'
On and on and on, it don't
Matter what we're doin'
As long as I'm with you, and
I can't imagine anything
I couldn't love you through the bad days
There's gonna be mistakes
But, baby, I'm here to stay
And if you think that could change
Don't
Stop makin' me late for work
Wakin' me up without sayin' a word
Ooh, don't
'Cause when you whisper in my ear
Everything I wanna hear
I know you know, I need to go
But you're the reason that I don't
'Cause every single mornin'
My eyes fall open on you
It's like my dreams keep goin'
On and on and on, it don't
Matter what we're doin'
As long as I'm with you, and
I can't imagine anything
I couldn't love you through the bad days
There's gonna be mistakes
But, baby, I'm here to stay
And if you think that could change
Don't
Oh, baby, don't
Oh, and if you ever wonder
If I regret the day I said, "I do"
Don't
'Cause every single mornin'
My eyes fall open on you
It's like my dreams keep goin'
On and on and on, it don't
Matter what we're doin'
As long as I'm with you, and
I can't imagine anything
I couldn't love you through the bad days
There's gonna be mistakes
But, baby, I'm here to stay
And if you think that could change
Don't
Baby, don't
Don't you think I don't
Oh, yeah, I know
Baby, don't
Jose Davila
If you think I could ever go a day without you
Five minutes without thinkin' about you
Don't
And if you wonder if it scares me
Thinkin' about forever with you, baby
I can tell you
Baby, it don't, oh
Oh, 'cause every single mornin'
My eyes fall open on you
It's like my dreams keep goin' on and on and on, it don't
Matter what we're doin'
As long as I'm with you, and
I can't imagine anything
I couldn't love you through the bad days
There's gonna be mistakes
But, baby, I'm here to stay
And if you think that could change, don't
Stop makin' me late for work
Wakin' me up without sayin' a word
Ooh, don't
'Cause when you whisper in my ear
Everything I wanna hear
I know you know, I need to go
But you're the reason that I don't
'Cause every single mornin'
My eyes fall open on you
It's like my dreams keep goin' on and on and on, it don't
Matter what we're doin'
As long as I'm with you, and
I can't imagine anything
I couldn't love you through the bad days
There's gonna be mistakes
But, baby, I'm here to stay
And when you think that could change
Don't
Oh, baby, don't
Oh, and if you ever wonder
If I regret the day I said, "I do"
Don't
'Cause every single mornin'
My eyes fall open on you
It's like my dreams keep goin' on and on and on, it don't
Matter what we're doin'
As long as I'm with you, and
I can't imagine anything
I couldn't love you through the bad days
There's gonna be mistakes
But, baby, I'm here to stay
And when you think that could change, don't
Baby, don't
Don't you think I don't
Oh, yeah, I know
mandandi
I love this song. Well written, simple, great deep raspy voice.
mrsnts35
Again and again....Darius Rucker keeps bringing us timeless hits that move the heart! "DON'T" ever stop D.R.😃🤠
Patricia Grant
I just heard this song and I love it 🥰! I have sent to my daughter and hope she plays it at her wedding in September. I wish it could be live.
Tim Edwards
My wife and i used this as our first dance at our wedding. Such an amazing song
Josh
I've been following Darius's career since Hootie and the Blowfish. This man never disappoints!
Justin Harris
Favorite song out right now. Hits home on so many levels.
Carrie Normandin
Amazing! Never disappointed with Darius!
Jackie Brooks
I love this man's music.. He is so talented
Aubrey Ashby
There is always a surprise track on every album he’s released and this one is definitely that surprise track. Love it. Keep up the great work D.
Terrence Andrew
I love this guys talent in drawing it all out in lyrics.