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Before you hit play on Darius Rucker’s massive country hit, you might be surprised to learn that this simple little ditty has a history far deeper than its 2013 chart-topping run. While Rucker took “Wagon Wheel” to the top of the Billboard Hot Country charts and snagged a Grammy for it, the song’s journey from a discarded Bob Dylan sketch to a triple-platinum anthem is a wild ride through music history. Grab a drink and settle in—we’re diving into the bootleg tapes, blues roots, and chance encounters that turned an unfinished melody into a modern classic.
Who Wrote Wagon Wheel?
Believe it or not, the song was originally written by Bob Dylan. Or, at least Bob Dylan came up with the initial idea for the song.
Dylan came up with the song in 1973 during his recording sessions for the music to the movie Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, at Burbank Studios in Burbank California. Dylan, as he was want to do, was simply noodling around with riffs in between takes. What I would call noodling, Dylan called a sketch of a song. [Rock me Mama Like A] Wagon Wheel, which Dylan called “Rock Me Mama” was intended to be given to the film’s producer to use in the film, but Dylan never really got further than the chorus.
Wagon Wheel Song Original Recording by Dylan
You can listen to the outtake from this session below. Most of what Dylan sings is mumbled in the background, but you can make out some of the lyrics. Although the song was never recorded, bootleg versions of it were handed around for years.
How Old Crow Medicine Show Finished Bob Dylan’s “Wagon Wheel”
It wasn’t until 25 years later, in 2004, that the song was completed. Ketch Secor of the country band Old Crow Medicine Show got one of those bootleg recordings. He kept Dylan’s original chorus, changed the melody a bit, and wrote new verse lyrics for the song, retitling it to “Wagon Wheel.” Co-writer credit and co-ownership were, of course, given to Dylan, with permission to record the song by Special Rider Music. Old Crow Medicine Show, known for their bluegrass, Americana, or what some folks call “mountain music” included the song on their 2001 album Troubles Up and Down the Road and later on their 2004 album O.C.M.S.
When Ketch Secor first reached out to Bob Dylan’s camp as a 17-year-old, he was simply looking for permission to finish a bootleg sketch. What followed was a unique legal partnership that solidified the song’s place in history.
The “Wagon Wheel” Publishing Deal
The legal arrangement is built on a straightforward 50-50 split. Despite the song’s massive commercial success, the agreement has remained remarkably clean:
- Shared Authorship: Secor and Dylan signed a formal co-writing agreement, officially sharing the copyright.
- Equal Split: Both artists share a 50% split in songwriting royalties.
- Dylan’s Humble Admission: In a surprising twist, Dylan’s manager reportedly emailed Secor to say that while Dylan agreed to the 50/50 split, he wanted it known he didn’t actually write the original phrase.
- The Big Boy Crudup Connection: Dylan pointed out that his 1973 “noodling” was actually inspired by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, tracing the song’s DNA back even further than the 1970s.
The Famous Geographical Flaw
In the third verse of the song, the lyrics follow a specific travel route:
“But he’s a-headin’ west from the Cumberland Gap to Johnson City, Tennessee.”
It turns out that the hitchhiker in “Wagon Wheel” is actually driving the wrong way! Johnson City is located east of the Cumberland Gap. If you were to head west from the Gap, you’d be traveling further into Kentucky and away from the destination mentioned in the song.
Why Ketch Secor Kept the Error
Ketch Secor has addressed this “geographic impossibility” in several interviews. He wrote the lyrics as a homesick 17-year-old student in New Hampshire and chose to keep the mistake for a few relatable reasons.
The Sound of West: Secor admitted he simply preferred the sound of the word “west,” believing it felt more powerful for a song about the open road than “east” would.
A Cooler Vibe: Even though he is aware the geography is technically impossible, he feels “west” captures the adventurous spirit of the track better.
The Long Toke Theory: Some fans jokingly suggest that since the narrator had just shared a “nice long toke” with the trucker, the driver was likely too disoriented to notice they were heading the wrong way.
From Bluegrass Standard to Darius Rucker’s Triple Platinum Hit
Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” has become a modern bluegrass standard, but it was Darius Rucker’s triple-platinum recording that turned it into a household name. Interestingly, Rucker didn’t get the song at first, even after performing it live with Old Crow. It wasn’t until he heard his daughter’s high school faculty band play it that the lightbulb finally went off, leading to his Grammy-winning cover.
The Deep Roots of “Rock Me Mama”
The song’s journey doesn’t start with Rucker or even Dylan. In 2007, Jason Webley and Reverend Peyton released a version called “Rock Me Mama,” a title often mistakenly credited to blues legend Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. While Dylan did credit the title phrase to Crudup, the lineage goes even deeper. Crudup himself traced the idea back to Big Bill Broonzy’s “Rock Me Baby,” which was inspired by even older blues sources. It’s a classic example of how music evolves—taking a simple phrase and passing it through generations until it becomes a chart-topping anthem.
What began as a scrapped 1973 Bob Dylan sketch evolved into a triple-platinum anthem by Darius Rucker, making the story of Wagon Wheel a testament to the enduring power of a great melody. Whether you prefer the raw, bootleg energy Dylan’s original noodling, the high-energy bluegrass of Old Crow Medicine Show, or the polished country sound that dominated the charts, it’s clear this song has earned its place in the American songbook. It is a rare piece of music history that bridges the gap between 1920s blues roots and modern-day pop success, proving that some songs are simply timeless, even if the directions in the lyrics are a little bit off.
Wagon Wheel: Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
| Original Sketch | Bob Dylan (1973) |
| Completed By | Ketch Secor / Old Crow Medicine Show (2004) |
| Most Famous Cover | Darius Rucker (2013) |
| Key Achievement | Triple-Platinum & Grammy Winner |
| Songwriting Split | 50/50 between Dylan and Secor |
