Songfacts®:

• Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker wrote this song about his mother Carolyn, who died from a heart attack on November 1, 1992. She raised Darius as a single mom, and they were very close. Rucker's bandmates thought the world of her as well; Carolyn kept them well-fed when they were in the Charleston area and was always very welcoming.
  
  After her death, Rucker's bandmates offered to cancel their upcoming shows, but he refused. Playing music help him deal with the pain, which he channeled into this song.
• "I'm Goin' Home" was included on the first Hootie & the Blowfish album, Cracked Rear View, which the RIAA has certified as the best-selling debut album in history. All of the songs on the album they played live long before they recorded them, so by the time they hit the studio they had been tested and refined.
  
  Rucker spearheaded this song, but like all the tracks on the album, it's credited to the entire band, as everyone contributed to the songwriting.