I Got Nothin'

"I Got Nothin'"
Single by Darius Rucker
from the album Charleston, SC 1966
Released	May 23, 2011 (2011-05-23)
Genre	Country
Length	3:24
Label	Capitol Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Darius Rucker Clay Mills
Producer(s)	Frank Rogers
Darius Rucker singles chronology
"This" (2010) "I Got Nothin'" (2011) "True Believers" (2012)

"I Got Nothin'" is a song recorded by American country music artist Darius Rucker and co-written by Rucker with Clay Mills. It was released in May 2011 as the seventh solo single of Rucker's career, and the third single from his album Charleston, SC 1966.

Content

In the song, the male narrator is facing the end of a marriage. The title has two meanings. First, he wants to say something to his wife to reconcile, but he can't think of anything; he has "got nothin'". Then, at the end of the song, he reflects that once she leaves, he has "got nothin'".

Music video

Shaun Silva directed the song's music video.^[1]

Critical reception

An uncredited review in HitFix described the song favorably, saying that it showed Rucker's "penchant for capturing details about every day life in a real, truthful way that makes you nod your head and say, 'I’ve been there.'"^[2] Website Taste of Country gave it a 9 out of 10 rating, praising Rucker's vocals and the twist in the song's bridge.^[3] Michael McCall of the Associated Press was less positive, saying that both it and "Come Back Song" "feature powerful performances that hardly vary in delivery and reveal little depth of feeling, despite dealing with serious topics."^[4] Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a C rating, saying that Rucker has potential, but he is not using it in this song.^[5]

Chart performance

"I Got Nothin'" debuted at number 54 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated June 4, 2011.^[6] It also debuted at number 84 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of October 1, 2011. It reached a peak of number 17 in November 2011.

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Canada Country (Billboard)[7]	43
US Billboard Hot 100[8]	84
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9]	17

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[10]	58

References

1. ""I Got Nothin'" video". CMT. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
2. "Album Review: Darius Rucker's 'Charleston, SC 1966'". HitFix. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
3. Dukes, Billy (9 May 2011). "Darius Rucker, 'I Got Nothin" – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
4. Rodman, Sarah (2010-10-11). "Darius Rucker, 'Charleston, SC 1966' - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
5. Coyne, Kevin John (June 9, 2011). "5 Five-Second Single Reviews: Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, The Dirt Drifters, OCMS, Darius Rucker". Country Universe. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
6. Morris, Edward (28 May 2011). "Brad Paisley Peaks Songs Chart With "Old Alabama"". CMT. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
7. "Darius Rucker Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
8. "Darius Rucker Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
9. "Darius Rucker Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
10. "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.