A songwriting prompt from Ed Sheeran during a co-writing session with Darius Rucker led to "Sara," an introspective, mid-tempo track on Rucker's new Carolyn's Boy album.
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During a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Rucker explained that he's "known Ed for years" and visited the pop star in England for a co-writing session.
"I remember writing the first song and he asked me who my first love was, and I said it was my 5th grade girlfriend," Rucker told People. "We just started talking about it, and in between every song he'd ask me something, and we'd talk about it, and then when I thought we were done he was like, 'I've got one more idea, man.'"
"Writing that song was so fun because Ed is such an amazing songwriter, but to write a song that's literally about your 5th grade girlfriend who you haven't seen in 40 years, it was an experience," he told People. "It was something that I never thought about writing, and when we did, I was so happy we did because I loved the song, and the song was true."
In response to "Sara's" backstory, Clarkson ruminated about the puppy love experiences of her two kids.
"It's such a pure thing, and there's no other experience jading that," Clarkson said.
Sara isn't the only real person referenced by their first name on Rucker's album. Carolyn's the name of his late mother, whose 1992 death preceded the commercial rise of Hootie and the Blowfish.
"When she died, Hootie went from being something that I really wanted to something that I had to have, to make her proud in heaven," Rucker told People. "I remember the first Grammy night, when it was all over and I got to be alone. It hurt that she didn't get to see me have that kind of success, but I believe she's seeing it somewhere else, so it's okay."
