Darius Rucker’s ‘For the First Time’ Hits No. 1

Darius Rucker’s latest hit, “For the First Time,” has landed at the top of the charts, becoming the Grand Ole Opry member’s ninth No. 1 hit.

“The opening line is so me. You know, that ‘You say you never danced to a dashboard singin’ REM‘ – that was so who I am and me, and so I started laughing, and then I started thinking about all of the stuff that I haven’t done that I wanted to do,” explains Rucker of the song, which he wrote with Scooter Carusoe and Derek George. “That song really made me sit down and write out a list of things I want to do that I’ve never done; not so much bucket list stuff, just stuff that ‘why have I never done that?’

“And it was really cool, and now I’m trying to do all those things,” continues Rucker. “But for me, that’s why I wanted that song to be a single. I wanted people to sit back for a second and go, ‘When was the last time I did something?’”

The South Carolina native says the song, from his 2017 When Was the Last Time album, is one the most personal songs he has ever recorded.

“For me, that song is really about life; about going out and living life and doing something you haven’t done before, because at this point in my life that’s something that’s so important to me – to do those bucket list things that you’ve never gotten to do,” Rucker says of the inspiring tune. “And I just thought that song was perfect, and it wasn’t just the lyrics. The lyrics are great and I love the story and everything, but I just thought the music was so country, and at the beginning that beat that laid behind it, I just man, that’s the kind of music I want to make. I love that song.”

Rucker will hit the road this summer to co-headline the Summer Plays On Tour with Lady Antebellum, with Russell Dickerson serving as the opening act. He will also reunite with his former band, Hootie & the Blowfish, to perform in Atlanta, Ga., as part of Jason Aldean‘s High Noon Neon Tour. A list of all of Rucker’s upcoming shows, including his performances during CMA Fest week, can be found by visiting his website.

Download “For the First Time” on iTunes.

Photo Credit: Instagram/dariusrucker