"So rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel."
These words begin the instantly recognizable chorus of the song "Wagon Wheel," popularized and sung by country music singer and former Hootie & the Blowfish star Darius Rucker. Released in 2013, the song was an instant hit, with its catchy chorus and strong country tune. It helped further cement Rucker's status as a star in the country music world, making him even more recognizable than before with his legendary days as the lead singer of the band Hootie & the Blowfish. Despite the success, Rucker's personality remains one of humility, claiming, "I didn't expect success and I didn't expect to be on the radio." It is safe to say that his expectations were quite quickly shattered.
Rucker's creative process surrounding "Wagon Wheel" is quite intriguing. The song is actually a re-recording of the 2004 hit by Old Crew Medicine Show, and before that was an unreleased chorus written by the famed Bob Dylan. The idea by Rucker to record the song hit him in a moment of pure insight as a creative mechanism. While at his daughter's high school talent show, the faculty band of the school played "Wagon Wheel," and at that moment Rucker knew he had to create his own version of the song. This is quite incredible, as the thought process of making a song is often much more drawn out. However, in this moment of insight, Rucker knew what he needed to do immediately. Furthermore, when it became time to actually create the product, Rucker utilized collaboration with others in the field to help make the song the hit it is. Famous country music band Lady A sing the background vocals on the song, and as Rucker notes, the group "took the song to a new level. Up until they added their vocals, I thought it was another song on the record." Indeed, when one listens to the song, the background vocals undoubtedly add character and quality to it, all thanks to the collaborative nature Rucker decided to use in his creative process.
As mentioned, "Wagon Wheel" was an immediate hit, and the reception of the product by the field is absolutely incredible. The song topped country charts for numerous weeks, and peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rucker earned a Grammy for best solo country performance due to this song, but the accolades he and the song received have not stopped in the immediate period after the song's release. In fact, in 2020, the song was certified eight times platinum, and thus became one of the top five most popular country singles in history. Since then, it has become nine times platinum. Taste of Country named the song one of the top country songs of the century, and its influence cannot be understated.
Listen to the song and check out the music video below!
Sources:
https://genius.com/Darius-rucker-wagon-wheel-lyrics
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/how-bob-dylan-co-wrote-darius-ruckers-wagon-wheel-40-years-ago-186340/
https://www.billboard.com/music/country/darius-rucker-wagon-wheel-multi-platinum-8551164/
https://tasteofcountry.com/darius-rucker-wagon-wheel-inspiration/
https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Darius+Rucker&ti=Wagon+Wheel&format=Single&type=&col=certification_date&ord=asc#search_section
https://tasteofcountry.com/darius-rucker-wagon-wheel-top-songs-of-the-century/
I’ve loved Rucker’s cover for years, and I had no idea Lady A were the ones singing the backup vocals! The amount of times I’ve queue’d up this song could probably send it platinum a tenth time. I also think it’s pretty cool that unlike a lot of artists, Rucker transitioned into the country genre, rather than out of it. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry just four years after his first country album, which definitely speaks to his talent!
ReplyDeleteThis was awesome learning more about Darius Rucker and the origins of his release of his version of Wagon Wheel! (My first time hearing Wagon Wheel was on a CD mix my dad made me in second grade, and I've loved the song since.) I also love that Rucker got the idea for creating his version after the faculty sang a Wagon Wheel rendition at his daughter school talent show - I wonder what that faculty group thinks of that song. That makes me think of how ordinary daily occurrences, like going to a school event, can serve as creative inspiration in a really meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge Darius Rucker fan and of course am familiar with Wagon Wheel. I appreciate that you dove deep into one of his creative products to really give us the full creative story behind it. He is so incredibly successful and have enacted huge changes in the country music industry. I think it is also important to note that he is one of few country musicians of color in an industry that may have not been always the most accepting. His talent is so evident in this song and his other tracks and to me his collaboration with other musicians speaks highly to his creativity.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that Wagon Wheel was a re-recording. It's awesome to see how Rucker was able to breathe new life into the song. Growing up as a kid, Wagon Wheel is the most recognizable song that played 24/7 on the radio during summer time. Rucker really made something special.
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