Rick Astley

I may not always show it
But deep down don't you know that I care
There are no words to tell you
But if there were I'd tell you I swear
I'm not the kind of guy
Who shows how he feels inside

Don't ask me to say it, you know that I love you
Don't ask me to prove it, there's no one above you

I watch you when you're dressing
I love the way you play with your hair
The simple things I notice
I'd know if they were no longer there
I just can't explain
Why I'm speechless once again

Remember the good times we had a ball
We shared them together
Forget all the bad times we beat them all
We beat them together

Don't ask me to say it, you know that I love you
Don't ask me to prove it, there's no one above you

Richard Paul Astley is a British entertainer, most known for his 1987 sensation “Never Gonna Give You Up” which was the subject of rick-rolling. He recieved a Brit Award for Best Single in 1988 for his hit and a “Best Act Ever” Award at the 2008 MTV EMAs upon its re-emergence into popularity.

Born in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire on February 6, 1966, Astley’s first taste of music came at the age of 10 and he became known as a drummer throughout school before dropping out at age 16. He played for a local live act entitled “FBI” (with future Conservative Party politician David Morris as guitarist) that gained popularity around London. Astley, a huge admirer of Nat King Cole soon moved to lead vocalist by the time the group garnered the interest of Pete Waterman, a record executive and 1/3 of the Scott-Aitken-Waterman production trio. Waterman hired a 19 year-old Astley as a gofer (assistant) and Morris as a songwriter at his PWL (Pete Waterman, Limited) Studios. He used this time to pull Astley out of his ‘shyness’ and secured them both a contract with RCA Records.

“When You Gonna” with fellow PWL protégé Lisa Carter was his debut release, but it found little success and received no promotion; it was Lisa’s only official output. His first solo release, “Never Gonna Give You Up”, was dropped on July 28, 1987, and turned Astley into an international star. It topped 24 different charts and moved nearly 2 Million copies. Astley’s debut album Whenever You Need Somebody found similar success – it collected Gold or Platinum certifications in 10 different regions, including Platinum 4x in the United Kingdom.

more tracks from the album

Keep It Turned On

From the album

Keep It Turned On (2001)

Rick Astley popular songs

Don’t AskRick Astley

Rick Astley

Keep It Turned On