{"id":7306,"date":"2016-03-02T00:38:12","date_gmt":"2016-03-02T06:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/?page_id=7306"},"modified":"2016-03-02T00:38:12","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T06:38:12","slug":"wagon-wheel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/music\/wagon-wheel\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Wagon Wheel&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Written by Paige Hinkle. 2 March 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Darius Rucker - Wagon Wheel (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hvKyBcCDOB4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cYou know what&#8217;s funny? That the black guy has the country-est song on country radio!\u201d said an older gentleman to <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/news\/darius-rucker-making-true-believers-with-country-music-20130521\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Darius Rucker in the grocery store<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> about the song \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d. \u00a0As this man pointed out, Rucker is an unlikely candidate for the country music scene. \u00a0First of all, country artists are predominantly white and Rucker is black. \u00a0Rucker is one of only two black people to ever win a Country Music Award and is only the third black member of the Grand Ole Opry. \u00a0Additionally, Rucker got his start as the lead singer and guitarist for the 90\u2019s rock band <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2008\/12\/09\/AR2008120903095.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hootie and the Blowfish<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and dabbled in R&amp;B music in the early 2000s. \u00a0When Rucker released his first country album in 2008 at the age of 42, many people thought it would just be a one time thing. \u00a0Rucker went on to create some of the \u201ccountry-est\u201d music despite all of these factors, culminating in the song \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Wagon Wheel&#8221; was originally written and performed by <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/news\/how-bob-dylan-co-wrote-darius-ruckers-wagon-wheel-40-years-ago-20130530\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bob Dylan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> but was never released. After finding a bootleg version of Dylan&#8217;s song, the bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show edited and recorded their own version of \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d. The song became incredibly popular with bluegrass and country fans alike and was even banned at some music venues because it was overplayed. \u00a0Rucker first heard the song played by his daughter&#8217;s high school band and, like many others, fell in love with the song. \u00a0He wanted to put a more country spin on the song so he included drums, a pedal steel guitar, and added background vocals by the popular country band Lady Antebellum. Rucker debuted the song on the night of his induction to the Grand Ole Opry, showing that he understood how to make good country music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Overall, the reception of Rucker&#8217;s version of Wagon Wheel was positive. \u00a0Fans loved the country sound and the catchy melody. \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d won the Grammy Award for \u201cBest Country Solo Performance\u201d and was nominated for \u201cSingle of the Year\u201d by the Country Music Association. \u00a0The song reached number 1 in the Hot Country Music charts and has sold over 3 million copies in the United States. \u00a0\u201cWagon Wheel\u201d really highlighted Rucker\u2019s talent as a country musician and proved that he was here to stay. \u00a0The only criticism left was for people to outright say that he doesn\u2019t belong in country music because he is black. \u00a0And that is what some people did. \u00a0One person <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2013\/05\/22\/darius-rucker-racist-tweet_n_3319629.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">tweeted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201cLeave country to the white folk\u201d which prompted a response by Rucker and made headlines in the country music scene. \u00a0Others claimed that he had \u201cstolen\u201d the song, which rarely happens to white artists like Rascal Flatts who record covers of popular songs frequently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2013, the year that Rucker&#8217;s &#8220;Wagon Wheel&#8221; was released, was the beginning of heightening racial tensions in the United States. \u00a0The previous year, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/therootdc\/post\/travyon-martin-case-magnifies-everyday-race-relations\/2012\/04\/12\/gIQASj4rCT_blog.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trayvon Martin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a young African American, was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer which sparked outrage all over the nation. \u00a0While many famous black artists such as <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/news\/jay-z-and-beyonce-attend-rally-for-trayvon-martin-20130721\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyonce and Jay-Z<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> publicly supported Trayvon and the black community, Rucker was silent on the issue. \u00a0Rucker was criticized by many black activists, especially since he tackled racial issues while singing with Hootie and the Blowfish with the song <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2008\/12\/09\/AR2008120903095.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Drownin&#8221;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which criticizes the North Carolina state house for flying the Confederate Flag. \u00a0However, &#8220;Drownin&#8221; was very controversial and caused Rucker to receive a large amount of hate mail, including death threats. Needless to say, Rucker wasn\u2019t jumping at the opportunity to talk about controversial race relations with an even more conservative country audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the midst of heightening race relations, Southern culture, including country music, was dealing with racism within its own community. In 2013 Brad Paisley, one of Rucker&#8217;s friends, released &#8220;Accidental Racist&#8221; which showed that country music was still \u201ccaught in between Southern pride and Southern blame\u201d as the song puts it. \u00a0&#8220;Accidental Racist&#8221; includes a lyric about the Confederate Flag, the same issue Rucker had been singing about almost a decade earlier. \u00a0Rucker merely claimed that Paisley is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.countrycountdownusa.com\/2013\/05\/18\/darius-defends-accidental-racist\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">not racist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and the song \u201cgot the conversation going\u201d. \u00a0Even these comments were enough to upset some country music fans who didn\u2019t want to discuss racial issues at all. \u00a0Although Rucker probably disagreed with some of the song\u2019s lyrics, he was careful not to offend the country music community or betray his friends in the country music industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rucker realized that even one controversial comment could derail all of his success and hard work. \u00a0In 2003 the Dixie Chicks were ostracized from country music after making controversial comments about President George W. Bush and the Iraq War. After the comments many former fans boycotted the Dixie Chicks and some radio stations even stopped playing Dixie Chicks songs. These comments had a serious impact on the Dixie Chicks\u2019 success even though many people stood up for their right to speak their mind. \u00a0Rucker knew that if he made controversial comments about race he could easily end up like the Dixie Chicks no matter how good his music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d music video was another chance for Rucker to show which side he was on. The music video for \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d includes cast members of the reality television show <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Duck Dynasty<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> about a conservative, Louisiana family who made a fortune selling duck-calls. \u00a0<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Duck Dynasty<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was beloved by many people in the country community, however the show has decreased in popularity after homophobic and racist comments by the cast. \u00a0In an interview just a few months after the release of \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d, one cast members said that black people were happy during the pre-civil rights era. These comments were criticized by the NAACP as <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2013\/12\/19\/phil-robertson-black-people_n_4473474.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cdangerous\u201d and \u201cinaccurate\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u00a0Once again, Rucker sided with the country folk, saying that the cast of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Duck Dynasty<\/span><\/i> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/country-star-darius-rucker-wins-grammy-sticks-up-for-duck-dynasty-family-theyre-good-people-press-made-that-controversy-113545\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201care good people\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and that the press created the controversy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7359\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7359 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"WagonWheel\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/WagonWheel.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a>Although Rucker has been relatively tame with his comments about race in order to preserve his reputation as a country artist, he has still quietly supported black people. Rucker is known for being the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/video\/darius-rucker-discusses-race-and-country-music\/319B4C2D-69FC-434B-BE74-F39E8499D3C4.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">first black singer to have a number 1 country song since Charley Pride in 1983<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u00a0Rucker and Pride have a friendly relationship and many of Pride\u2019s stories influence Rucker. Shocking stories about how Pride\u2019s record label wouldn\u2019t allow him to display his face on the album cover show how far country music has come despite current shortcomings. \u00a0Although Rucker can\u2019t sing about the racism behind the confederate flag or make comments about Trayvon Martin\u2019s death, he prominently displays his face on all of his albums and cover art, including \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d. \u00a0Additionally, Rucker opens up country music to a new audience and shows that you don\u2019t have to be white to enjoy country music. \u00a0Hopefully the success of black country musicians like Rucker will help diversify the faces of country music and allow future artists to be more open about their stance in regard to race.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At first glance, the song \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d doesn\u2019t seem to be about race. \u00a0By choosing the song Rucker subtly shows that even a black man should be accepted in Southern culture. \u00a0Lyrics like \u201crunning from the cold in up in New England\u201d and \u201cnorth country winters keep a-getting me down\u201d contrast the cold, sad Northeast with the vibrant, musical South. \u00a0The repeated phrase \u201crock me mamma\u201d could be about playing music or it could have a sexual connotation. \u00a0Either interpretation shows the South as a place of love and music. \u00a0When slavery was prominent in America black people tried to escape the South to go to the free Northern states, but the lyric \u201cif I die in Raleigh at least I will die free\u201d suggests that the South is now the place of freedom. \u00a0The lyrics suggest that the South is free from the constraints of money and is more about relationships and culture. \u00a0Rucker shows that black people also have the same desires to be free, to love, and to play music. \u00a0Finally, the lyric \u201cI ain&#8217;t turning back to living that old life no more\u201d speaks both to Rucker\u2019s permanent position as a country music artist and black peoples\u2019 gradual escape from the pre-civil rights era.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In an interview with <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2008\/12\/09\/AR2008120903095.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Washington Post<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Rucker reminisces on how he used to tell his son \u201cYou can be anything you want, except president or a country singer.\u201d \u00a0Well, he can\u2019t say that anymore. \u00a0Rucker\u2019s transition into country music wasn\u2019t easy, but songs like \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d helped him assert that he belongs despite being black in a sea of white faces. \u00a0The popularity of \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d and Rucker\u2019s careful commentary about race lead to his acceptance into the country world. \u00a0Country music is better because of his contributions both as a black man and a talented musician.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Work Cited<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coleman, Miriam. &#8220;Jay Z and Beyonce Attend Rally for Trayvon Martin.&#8221;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rolling Stone<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 21 July 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Darius Defends Accidental Racist.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Country Countdown USA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Cumulus Media, 18 May 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Du Lac, Freedom. &#8220;Former Hootie &amp; the Blowfish Frontman Darius Rucker Leaves Rock for Country Music.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Washington Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2008. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dunkerley, Beville. &#8220;Darius Rucker Making &#8216;True Believers&#8217; with Country Music.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rolling Stone<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 21 May 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Greene, Andy. &#8220;How Bob Dylan Co-Wrote Darius Rucker&#8217;s &#8216;Wagon Wheel,&#8217; 40 Years Ago.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rolling Stone<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 30 May 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hawkins, Lee. &#8220;Darius Rucker Discusses Race and Country Music.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wall Street Journal<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hicks, Shannan. &#8220;Travyon Martin Case Magnifies Everyday Race Relations.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Washington Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lee, Morgan. &#8220;Country Star Darius Rucker Wins Grammy, Sticks Up for &#8216;Duck Dynasty&#8217; Family: &#8216;They&#8217;re Good People, Press Made That Controversy'&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Christian Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 29 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sieczkowski, Cavan. &#8220;Darius Rucker Responds To Racist Tweet: &#8216;Is This 2013 Or 1913&#8242;&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Huffington Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 22 May 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sieczkowski, Cavan. &#8220;&#8216;Duck Dynasty&#8217; Star Phil Robertson Claims Black People Were &#8216;Happy&#8217; Pre-Civil Rights.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Huffington Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. N.p., 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Paige Hinkle. 2 March 2016. \u201cYou know what&#8217;s funny? That the black guy has the country-est song on country radio!\u201d said an older gentleman to Darius Rucker in the grocery store about the song \u201cWagon Wheel\u201d. \u00a0As this &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/music\/wagon-wheel\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":0,"parent":18,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7306","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7306"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7361,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7306\/revisions\/7361"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}