Darius Rucker, ‘True Believers’

Darius Rucker takes a simple story of two lovers who defy odds and skeptics and places it gently on a cloud in the stratosphere -- a place few others can reach. 'True Believers' begins as a mild and unremarkable pop-country song before clever production and Rucker's unforgettable voice find one soaring in the euphoria.

For a moment in the beginning, it sounds as if Rucker is doing his best Darius Rucker impression. But by the time he gets to the powerful -- yet somehow understated -- chorus, he has thrown every bit of his endless energy into the lyric.

"We are one heartbeat in the darkness / We are one lasting answered prayer / We are one unbroken promise / We are two, true believers," he sings in 'True Believers.'

The second verse is about hard times, with one line in particular hitting home for any couple able to relate with the story he tells. "Every road block was a chance to say / Take my hand I'm here beside you," Rucker sings before adding, "We worked and made it through the toughest parts / Now everything's another chance to start / To look around and see that where we are / Is where we were trying to get to."

This is not poetry. His words aren't dripping with honey, symbolism or imagery. It's Rucker's presentation that fills in the blanks and urges one to turn the stereo up by the end. The last few choruses are layered, with Rucker freestyling some over his own vocals. That's a risky move for a lesser singer, but the married father of three uses it climb through the atmosphere. We're happy to ride along with him, even if the thin air gives us a head rush.

Listen to Darius Rucker, 'True Believers'