LOS ANGELES, Oct 8, (Agencies): Darius Rucker, the renowned country star, recently shared an intimate story about the inspiration behind his song "Sara," featured on his upcoming album, "Carolyn's Boy." This heartfelt track delves into the nostalgia of his first love, a fifth-grade romance, and the unexpected collaboration with his friend Ed Sheeran in its creation.

The fateful meeting between Rucker and Sheeran occurred during the Red Tour in 2013 when Sheeran was opening for Taylor Swift. Rucker had long admired Sheeran's songwriting prowess and had a strong desire to collaborate with him. He fondly recalled their initial encounter and said, "We met then, and I just wanted to write with him. I always wanted to write with him, and finally got to do it."

The creative process for "Sara" began with a simple question from Sheeran about Rucker's first love. Rucker didn't hesitate to reminisce about his fifth-grade girlfriend, Sara. The two musicians engaged in a heartfelt conversation, with Sheeran continually probing for details between each song. Rucker explained, "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.'"

As the songwriting process unfolded, Rucker marveled at the experience of crafting a song about a long-lost fifth-grade love, someone he hadn't seen in four decades. He expressed, "Writing that song was so fun because Ed is such an amazing songwriter, but to write a song that's literally about your fifth-grade girlfriend who you haven't seen in 40 years, it was an experience. 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."

Despite the passing years, Rucker admitted to having "no idea" about what became of his fifth-grade sweetheart, Sara. However, he expressed a heartfelt desire to reconnect with her someday.

"Sara" is a touching tribute to that enduring first love and is featured on Rucker's album, "Carolyn's Boy," which was released on October 6th, allowing listeners to share in the nostalgia and emotional journey of Darius Rucker's past.