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".
Radio
Darius Rucker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is after I dropped my Momma off where she needed to go
It had four bald tires
With the ceiling falling and the windows stuck
But the only thing I cared about was the radio
We turned it on, turned it up to 10
Ridin' down the highway
Who wants to be the DJ
I'll find a spot on the side of the road
You find something on the radio
A real, real good song
We'll know it when it comes on
We had no money and no place to go
All we needed was a radio
Grabbed my girl
We looked for somewhere to watch the stars
A perfect place to put it park and take it slow
She sang along
To even the ones that she barely knew
Still sounded good, a little louder too
But we didn't care
I looked at her, she looked at me
I'll never forget that melody
Ridin' down the highway
Who wants to be the DJ
I'll find a spot on the side of the road
You find something on the radio
A real, real good song
We'll know it when it comes on
We had no money and no place to go
All we needed was a radio
Hey ya'll be quiet, that's my favorite song
Hey man, turn it up loud
Come on, come on, come on
Ridin' down the highway
Who wants to be the DJ
I'll find a spot on the side of the road
You find something on the radio
A real, real good song
We'll know it when it comes on
We had no money and no place to go
All we needed was a radio
In Darius Rucker's song "Radio," he reminisces about his younger days when all he needed was a car and a radio to have a good time. The first verse describes how he got his first car, which had seen better days but had one redeeming quality - a functioning radio. He and his friends would crank up the volume, and anyone who was around would jump in and join them. They would drive around with the radio blaring, searching for the perfect spot to pull over and listen to their favourite tunes.
The second verse follows Rucker and his girlfriend as they look for a place to stargaze. She sings along to the songs on the radio, even if she doesn't know all the words, and they both enjoy the moment, lost in the music. Rucker reflects on the melodies and moments that stick with us, long after the songs have ended.
The refrain of "Radio" celebrates the joy of discovering a great song on the radio, cranking it up, and singing along with someone you care about. With no money and nowhere to go, all they ever needed was each other and a good tune on the radio.
Overall, "Radio" is a heartening tribute to the simple pleasures in life, and the lasting memories that come from sharing them with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
Seventeen, the only way I had a car
I was only able to have a car when I turned 17 years old.
Is after I dropped my Momma off where she needed to go
The only way I could have the car is if I dropped off my Mom at her desired location.
It had four bald tires
The car I had was in poor condition and had worn-out tires.
With the ceiling falling and the windows stuck
The car was in disrepair, as the ceiling material was falling and the windows would not open.
But the only thing I cared about was the radio
The only redeeming feature of the car was the radio, which I valued the most.
We turned it on, turned it up to 10
We set the radio volume to the maximum level of 10.
And everybody would jump on in
When we turned on the radio, everyone would scramble to get into the car.
Ridin' down the highway
We were driving on the highway.
Who wants to be the DJ
We were asking each other who wanted to choose the music on the radio.
I'll find a spot on the side of the road
We would pull over to the side of the road to choose the next song on the radio.
You find something on the radio
We would ask someone to find a good song on the radio.
A real, real good song
We were looking for a song that was exceptionally good.
We'll know it when it comes on
We would recognize a good song when we heard it.
We had no money and no place to go
We did not have any money or any plans for where to go.
All we needed was a radio
The only thing we needed to be content was a great song on the radio.
Grabbed my girl
I took my girlfriend with me on a drive.
We looked for somewhere to watch the stars
We wanted to find a spot to enjoy the evening sky.
A perfect place to put it park and take it slow
We were looking for a suitable spot to park and relax.
She sang along
My girlfriend sang along to the songs on the radio.
To even the ones that she barely knew
She would try to sing along to even the songs she didn't know well.
Still sounded good, a little louder too
Even when she didn't know the song, it still sounded good and she would sing a little louder too.
But we didn't care
We were having such a great time that we didn't care how we sounded or looked to others.
I looked at her, she looked at me
We stared at each other, feeling happy and content in each other's company.
I'll never forget that melody
The melody of that song will forever remain in my mind and is a cherished memory.
Hey ya'll be quiet, that's my favorite song
I would tell my friends to be quiet when my favorite song came on the radio.
Hey man, turn it up loud
I would tell someone to turn up the volume of the song that was playing on the radio.
Come on, come on, come on
I would excitedly urge someone to join in and enjoy the music with me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ASHLEY GORLEY, DARIUS C. RUCKER, LUKE LAIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mistasnak
When he said, "four bald tires, with the ceiling falling and the window stuck." I felt that lol good ole memories
@baltimorejay_1
Haven’t heard this song in years, his songs always get better, this reminds me of being a teenager, we would just joy ride for hours and have fun, really miss being a kid and I keep telling my daughter to stop trying to grow up so fast, she’s gonna miss it
@elliemoore5616
I love DariusRucker. He's #one in my heart. I have known him all my life turning fiftyone this November. Going to see him in Charlotte North Carolina, September 11,2016 one month before my birthday November 11, I know without even thinking. It will the best day EVER, Tootaloo.
@justinskyliner3350
Aww this song makes me miss the good ol country. Driving on the back roads with a Ford. Barely any cops patroling. Just cruise :)
@hooddude103
Lmao a ford buddy get you a Chevy
@W0RLDSSMALLESTVI0LIN
***** I'm a licensed car dealer. Chevys are pieces of shit. Fords are alot better but they are shit too. I'm a Ford guy tho.
@rorybainbridge7516
Dirty Dan get yourself a landrover 90 defender
@SiYanara
rory bainbridge Your better off finding a crashed ufo and fixing up. better brandname :)
@LIGHTNING278TH
rory bainbridge Nah... Ford GPW
@elijahwinchester3170
the radio is literally my only friend