Wagon Wheel (song)

"Wagon Wheel"
"Wagon Wheel" cover
Song by Old Crow Medicine Show from the album O.C.M.S.
Released	February 24, 2004
Recorded	2003 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Country, folk, bluegrass
Length	3:52
Label	Nettwerk
Writer	Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor
Producer	David Rawlings
O.C.M.S. track listing
"We're All in This Together" (10) "Wagon Wheel" (11)

"Wagon Wheel" is a song originally sketched by Bob Dylan and later completed by Old Crow Medicine Show. Old Crow Medicine Show's version was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 2011. The song has also been covered by blues artist Matt Andersen, in 2005, Against Me! and Jeremy McComb in 2007, and Darius Rucker in 2013.

Content

The song describes a hitchhiking journey south along the eastern coast of the United States, from New England in the northeast, through Philadelphia, with the intended destination of Raleigh, North Carolina, where the protagonist hopes to see his lover. Old Crow Medicine Show's version of the song is in 2/2 time signature, with an approximate tempo of 76 half notes per minute. It is in the key of A major, with the main chord pattern of A-E-F♯m-D.

Background and writing

"Wagon Wheel" is composed of two different parts. The chorus and melody for the song comes from a demo recorded by Bob Dylan during the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid sessions. Although never officially released, the Dylan song was released on a bootleg and is usually named after the chorus and its refrain of "Rock Me Mama." Although Dylan left the song an unfinished sketch, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show wrote verses for the song around Dylan's original chorus. Secor's additional lyrics transformed "Rock Me Mama" into "Wagon Wheel." Secor has stated the song is partially autobiographical. The song has become extremely popular since its inclusion on Old Crow Medicine Show's major label debut, O.C.M.S. in 2004, although the song appeared in earlier form on the now out of print "Troubles Up and Down the Road" EP in 2001. Dylan's song is often credited to "A. Crudup.", and the official publishing information is Dylan/Secor.

As Chris 'Critter' Fuqua of Old Crow describes it . .

' I'd gotten a (Bob) Dylan bootleg in like ninth grade and I let (band co-founder) Ketch (Secor) listen to it, and he wrote the verses because Bob kind of mumbles them and that was it. We've been playing that song since we were like 17, and it's funny because we've never met Dylan, but the song is technically co-written by Bob Dylan. What's great about "Wagon Wheel" is that it has grown organically. The popularity of it was all based on word of mouth. There was no radio airplay for it. We made a music video for it, but it wasn't "November Rain" or anything. No one was like, "Oh my God, what's this video about?" And 16 years later, it went gold, then Darius Rucker cut it.'

Certification

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	Gold	40,000^
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,167,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Darius Rucker version

"Wagon Wheel"
Single by Darius Rucker
from the album True Believers
Released	January 7, 2013 (2013-01-07)
Format	Music download
Genre	Country, Americana, bluegrass
Length	4:58 (album version)
Label	Capitol Nashville
Producer	Frank Rogers
Darius Rucker singles chronology
"True Believers" (2012) "Wagon Wheel" (2013)

Darius Rucker joined Old Crow Medicine Show at the Grand Ole Opry July 6, 2012, "for a special rendition of ‘Wagon Wheel.’" The fans "went crazy over Rucker’s cover of the Old Crow Medicine Show hit," setting the stage for his tweeted announcement: "Secret out after @opry perf. I recorded a version of ‘Wagon Wheel’ for my new record & @ladyantebellum sings on track.” The new album, True Believers, is his third solo project on Capitol Records. Rucker's cover is the album's second single.

Backstory

The song did not at first appeal to Rucker. "Somebody had played ‘Wagon Wheel’ for me years ago," he says. "It was one of those things that I didn’t really get." The faculty band at his daughter's high school performing had a different effect, as he relates . .

"So, I’m at my daughter’s high school talent show, and I’m sitting in the audience with my family. We were watching my daughter, and the faculty band gets up. It’s just the faculty from her school, and they play ‘Wagon Wheel.’ I’m sitting in the audience, and they get to the middle of the chorus, and I turned to my wife, and I go, ‘I’ve got to cut this song.’ I’m serious. This all happened in three-and-a-half minutes, four minutes, while they’re playing the song."

With guidance from Frank Liddell, Rucker cut the song with Lady Antebellum on backing vocals. He told Taste of Country:

"I called up Charles [Kelley] and he said 'yes', and then a couple day(s) later I ran into Dave (Haywood) and Hillary (Scott) at a concert and mentioned it to them and they said sure. Two days later they were in the studio doing it . . Lady Antebellum took the song to a new level. Up until they added their vocals, I thought it was another song on the record."

Critical reception

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave Rucker's version a five-star rating. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave Rucker's version four and a half stars out of five. As to the reaction of the originating group, Rucker says . .

"I'm obviously a risk taker. I left Hootie & The Blowfish to come and play country music, so I'm ok with risks. But, I just loved the song. I just thought it would be a great song to cut. I think the Old Crow Medicine Show guys are very happy about it, and that's all that matters to me."

When asked what he thought of this version of the song, Chris 'Critter' Fuqua of Old Crow Medicine Show replied:

'I love it. He actually played with us at (The Grand Ole) Opry, and it was great. I think he sees something special in that song and understands it. He's a country music fan and, more than that, he just loves music and loves playing. I'm really glad he cut the track. It's been good for him and good for us, but I'm just waiting for the time when people come up to me and say, "I love when you guys played that Darius Rucker cover."'

Music video

Rucker released a music video of the song on March 21, 2013, which features several members of the television show Duck Dynasty, along with Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum.

Chart performance

Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of January 19, 2013. It also debuted at number 32 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of January 26, 2013. It debuted at 96 on the U.S. Billboard Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of February 6, 2013; it debuted at 72 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of February 13, 2013. In its 10th chart week, March 20, 2013, Rucker's version made "a strong move" on Hot Country Songs, going from 11 to 5, and to 18 on Country Airplay (to 14.7 million, up 20%). Old Crow's original (from 2004) sold 15,000 and ranked 28 on Country Digital Songs the same week. The song reached number one on Hot Country Songs in its 12th week. It is his most successful song as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 16. The song has sold 1,098,000 copies in the US as of May 2013.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	26
US Billboard Hot 100	16
US Country Airplay (Billboard)	2
US Country Songs (Billboard)	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,098,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by "Sure Be Cool If You Did" by Blake Shelton

Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single April 13, 2013

Succeeded by "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line