What does Never Gonna Give You Up mean?

Rick Astley: Never Gonna Give You Up Meaning

Album cover for Never Gonna Give You Up album cover

Song Released: 1987


Never Gonna Give You Up Lyrics

Ooh ooh

We're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand

Never gonna give you up
Never...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jun 27th 2018 !⃝

    I always felt as though it meant two people were in love and both knew it, but never acted upon it.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    sisterhoodofrickastley
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    May 12th 2017 !⃝

    This song represents two of Marcia's identity stages. The first stage that can be interpreted from this song is Moratorium. Rick says they've known each other for so long and that she's to shy to admit her heart is breaking. This means they're in the stages of searching for identity. The other identity stage is Identity Achievement. Rick KNOWS he'll never give you up or let you down. He knows his values and has a strong sense of self.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Mar 6th 2013 !⃝

    This song was written by the British production team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman. It was inspired by a woman Pete Waterman had been seeing for 3 years. Rick Astley was staying with Waterman at the time, and after a 3-hour phone call with the woman, Astley said, "You're never gonna give her up." Aitken and Waterman then changed the story a bit and made him the one who was vulnerable.

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 1st 2022 !⃝

    I like to prank people so I use this song

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 4th 2022 !⃝

    We're no strangers to love
    You know the rules and so do I
    A full commitment's what I'm thinking of
    You wouldn't get this from any other guy

    I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
    Gotta, make you understand

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

    We've known each other for so long
    Your heart's been aching, but
    You're too shy to say it
    Inside, we both know what's been going on
    We know the game and we're gonna play it

    And if you ask me how I'm feeling
    Don't tell me you're too blind to see

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

    (Ooh, give you up)
    (Ooh, give you up)
    Never gonna give, never gonna give
    (Give you up)
    Never gonna give, never gonna give
    (Give you up)

    We've known each other for so long
    Your heart's been aching, but
    You're too shy to say it
    Inside, we both know what's been going on
    We know the game and we're gonna play it

    I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
    Gotta, make you understand

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

  6. anonymous
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    Feb 15th 2022 !⃝

    This song doesn't need interpretation. It was created by the living legend. Everyone should know about it

  7. anonymous
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    Nov 24th 2021 !⃝

    Rick is a father figure and he is saying that he is always there for you and you can share your worries and insecurities and problems with him.

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 19th 2021 !⃝

    Lyric interpretation of this song. Guy and girl are best friends or close friends. Both experienced being in a relationship. The girl is brokenhearted from a previous relationship. The guy has feelings for this girl and wants to have a committed relationship with her. He will never gonna give her up and is telling her the reasons that he will be there through thick and thin. He will always be true to her. For the recent comment, sorry to hear about your wife. You are still fortunate to have been married to her for 23 years. Be strong Sir.

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 18th 2021 !⃝

    23 years ago I proposed to my wife while playing this song, it was her favorite. She knew all the lyrics by heart, she is the most beautiful woman that I have ever encountered. Alas, 4 years ago she passed away from a severe cancerous tumor that has developed in her head. Making it terribly hard for her to live. I had to take care of her for so long and this song never failed to make her smile and sing along. Because she is no stranger to love, she knows the rules and so do I. A full commitment is what I'm thinking of, she wouldn't have gotten this from any other guy. I just wanted to tell her how I'm feeling, to make her understand. I'm never gonna give her up, never gonna let her down. I'm never gonna run around and desert her, never gonna make her cry, but I had to say goodbye.

  10. anonymous
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    Dec 3rd 2020 !⃝

    i think it is about someone who loves ether a wife,kid or girl/boyfriend and never want to leave them.

  11. anonymous
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    Sep 10th 2019 !⃝

    this song was the biggest hit in the 80's, and he won the 1988 brit award for the best british single. As we all know after the music video was released it became a meme.
    some know it sucks to be rickrolled, but its funny to rickroll people. check out this link!


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  12. anonymous
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    May 22nd 2019 !⃝

    I think it's about love.

  13. anonymous
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    Nov 3rd 2017 !⃝

    This song is about a person and another person who dont want to leave each other, so they dont until he gets married and has kids. The end Happily ever after

  14. anonymous
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    Sep 17th 2010 !⃝

    It's one of those terrible songs that get stuck in your head forever. That said, it's fun if you don't take it seriously. I mean that's what getting rickrolled is all about. Showofhands, I think you give a bit too much credit to the /b/tards out there. They didn't make Rick Astley, he was a legitimate one-hit-wonder in his day. He was famous for that one moment in time so it's not like /b/ created his fame out of nothing. I would say it's been more just revived and kept for its camp value.

    I'm gonna take a shot at the meaning though: A guy's talking to a girl, and he wants to let her know that he's never gonna give her up, let her down, run around, or desert her. I don't think he'd make her cry, say goodbye, tell a lie, or hurt her either.

    Whew, real tough one. Gotta dig real deep to get the meaning.


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