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Darius Rucker Heeds His Own Advice

Taking Time “For the First Time”

In Darius Rucker's new song, "For the First Time," he asks, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

And in real life, when Rucker asked that of himself and ended up on a fishing excursion with his family.

"I went fly fishing a few weeks ago for the very first time," Rucker told Billboard Country Update. "Loved every minute of it. I'm out there with my kids, and my middle daughter -- who was the one who didn't want to go -- she's catching seven fish, and she's excited and saying, 'Dad, when can we go fly fishing again?'

"It was really rejuvenating and really fun, and it was perfect because it was something that I always wanted to do but never took the time to do," he said of his last first time.

Rucker added that it's common for people to get in a rut in their lives, and he hopes that this song may be just what they need to get out of it.

"For me, (going) deeper, this song is about 'take a chance,' you know --gi do something you haven't done before," he said.

When it came time to mix the song after he'd recorded it, Rucker said liked the intro (with its reference to R.E.M.) and the outro (with the mandolin at the end.) And everything in between, especially when he started including the song in his live shows.

"I started playing that song months ago, and by the time I sing (the chorus) the second time, everybody knows it," he said of the fan response. "Everybody has got the hook."

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