Just like everybody else, I probably listen to music everyday. I love listening to music when I am getting ready to go somewhere. It tends to put me in a really good mood. My go-to station on Pandora is Darius Rucker! The majority of the time I feel like his station is always on point! I feel like I can relate to his music so much! Rucker is a solo country artist who first began in a band called Hootie & the Blowfish. In the mid-90s his band would perform pop/rock songs. Unfortunately, this band did last very long and Rucker launched his solo career singing R&B and country.
One thing that I enjoy about Rucker’s music is that most of his songs have a positive vibe. The very first time I heard one of his song’s, It Wont Be Like This for Long, I immediately fell in love. This song is in his album Learn to Live. Even though this song is talking about someone’s child and how eventually one day that child will be on their own. I can relate to this song in two different ways. In one way, coming from a family of five older siblings (which I am the baby of the family) I feel like in my parent’s eyes, I will always be their baby. When I was in high school, I felt that my parents were in denial that sooner or later I was going to have to leave their home and go off to college. Those four years were probably the fastest four years of their lives. The day that they brought me to college was the day first time that I had ever seen my mother cry. Seeing my mom cried made me feel sad! I didn’t want to see her like and I felt horrible and right away I though if I had made the right decision about attending college in a different city. Without a doubt, my parents were very understanding and supportive about my decision of leaving home and furthering my education. In another way, I look back and realize that little girl that my parents dropped off in college is now a senior at the best university there is! I can’t believe that four years have passed by so quickly! I now think sooner or later I will be going through the same thing! It gives me the chills knowing that one day I will be the one dropping off my own kids in school!
Another favorite song by him is I Got Nothin’ . There is obviously no perfect relationship. In a relationship, you are going to have to probably go through the highest and lowest points (if you are in a “serious” relationship) and there are going to be times when you really don’t have anything to say. Arguments are inedible. Who knows how long they are going to last. In most cases, someone in the relationships is not going to want to make things worse and they are not going to say anything. I fell like this is the message he is trying to send out. That if you don’t say anything you are going to lose the one you truly care about.
I am glad you made this post, because I used to listen to Hootie & the Blowfish with my mom when I was younger. I always wondered what became of them, so it is good to know that their lead singer still enjoys a solo career. Interestingly, Hootie & the Blowfish was a rock band while Darius Rucker’s solo albums are country. The album title Charleston, SC 1966 seemed unique as well, and made me wonder if there was a certain event that happened in Charleston in 1966. And indeed, Darius Rucker was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1966! Apparently there is a sort of tradition in naming an album off of the artist’s hometown and birth year, which I did not know. Thanks for the entertaining post!
When Darius first became mainstream I was really into his music and not till awhile later when showing my mother his music did she connect Hootie and The Blowfish with him for me. My mother is a huge fan of Darius and saw him in concert with my Dad when he was Hootie as well as when he went solo. I think that it is so interesting to compare his music now to when he was the pop and rock singer of Hootie and the Blowfish. I love watching the careers of artists like Darius change and grow into their current state.
I was reading a Buzzfeed post the other day and it was about singers who changed genres in the middle of their singing careers, and Darius Rucker was one of them! I think it’s cool that he related himself with country music, because it seems like the recent trend is leaving country to do other genres of music (mainly pop). I really like his song Come Back Song and just like Learn to Live, it’s sad lyrics with upbeat music, and he does a good job of sounding not-so-sad. Also, your post reminded me of when I first left my parents for school and my eyes might or might not have gotten slightly watery!
Thanks, Carilu. I always love hearing what musicians y’all prefer, and so far you’re one of very few to mention Darius Rucker. As I understand it, he got his start in country music by playing this Burger King commercial. It was supposed to be funny, playing on watchers’ beliefs that African Americans weren’t interested in country music, but in fact, it created an audience for the country music he would start recording afterward. I wonder if people will look back and wish he had stayed a rock singer. I think his country music is pretty un-ambitious in comparison to the stuff he was doing with Hootie.
Carilu,
I really enjoyed reading this article and I think Darius Rucker has impacted country music for many reasons. Hootie & The Blowfish have always been a band I enjoyed listening to, so when Rucker came on the country music scene it was a change up of pace for me. Rucker is a great country artist and did an amazing job of switching over from the “Rock n’ Roll” lifestyle. All of his songs are easily relatable and it was good to see how they even related in your life! Always fun learning what other people like to listen to!
I am glad you posted this article; I did not know any of this about Darius Rucker. Of course I know who he is and some of his more famous songs, but I had no idea that he used to sing R&B and rock songs. I was also not aware he was in a band at the beginning of his career. However I think my favorite song of Rucker’s is his remake of Wagon Wheel. This was the first time I had ever heard Rucker and I was very impressed. I must of listened to that song one hundred times when it first came out.
I really liked this blog because I think Darius Rucker goes under the radar for the most part. I know he’s won a few awards here and there but I’ve never really heard him talked about too much. I agree his songs seem are mostly positive and bring a light hearted energy. My favorite song of his is Alright because it’s about living in the moment and being blessed with what you have. The first time I heard Hootie and the Blowfish was watching an old rerun of Friends and they mention them. He has one of those soothing voices that I could just listen to on repeat. Thanks for sharing!