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


Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit, edited by Renelda

Never Gonna Give You Up Lyrics as written by Matt Aitken Mike Stock

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Never Gonna Give You Up song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

43 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +4
    General Comment

    You know, it's the funniest thing. This song has lyrics that are so sugary sweet and horrible for you that it just makes your teeth rot directly out of your head (much like the beloved Charleston Chew). The beats and synths (not to mention the chorus of black women in the background) make this tune a generic recycling of eighties pop that could never stand the test of time in the gauntlet of teenage musical enthusiasts.

    That being said: I love Rick Astley. For all the guff that the man gets, he was way ahead of his time in his frame of mind. Back in the 1980's, Rick put out several records that never so much as saw air time on the radio, never mind MTV video circulation. Left and right he had people telling him what to do, how to dress, how to act, and what songs to sing, but to little avail. So what did he do? He dropped his record company, got himself a freelance agent and started writing his own tunes.

    Now, as I said, "Never Gonna Give You Up" is not exactly poetry, but if you actually break the instrumentals of the song down, you can find some composition that is quite complex and intriguing beneath all of that synth pop.

    So I raise my glass to Mr. Astley and thank him for giving us a fantastic internet meme that we (and the other 18 million Americans who have been Rickrolled thus far) can laugh about for many months to come, until we latch onto the next hilarious icon. But beware... it's surely to have a power level of over....

    Nine thousand.

    Baron Nocturnuson April 19, 2008   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    The singer is definitely singing this for a love interest of his.

    "We're no strangers to love/You know the rules and so do I" Both the singer and the love interest have experienced love before

    "A full commitment's what I'm thinking of/You wouldn't get this from any other guy" The singer is ready to fully commit to the love interest in a way he believes nobody else would.

    "I just want to tell you how I'm feeling/Gotta make you understand" The singer has maybe never proclaimed his true feelings, or at least the love interest has not fully understood his intentions.

    "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down" Pretty straightforward, if you know that the "you" in this song refers to the love interest.

    "Never gonna run around and desert you" This shouldn't be taken literally; the singer just means he intends to never leave the love interest.

    "Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye" Again not literal, at least the "say goodbye" part. The singer most definitely might say "goodbye" as a , just not farewell for good.

    "Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you" The singer intends to be honest to the love interest and not hurt her(/him?) physically nor emotionally.

    "We've known each other for so long/Your heart's been aching but you're too shy to say it" The singer and the love interest have known each other for some time. The singer assumes that the love interest has also had feelings towards the singer, but has not admitted them due to shyness or fear of rejection.

    "Inside we both know what's been going on" Here, the singer suspects that they both already know that the romantic interest is mutual.

    "We know the game and we're gonna play it" Now that the singer has opened up, he believes that this love interest will develop to a romantic/erotic relationship, as in to "play" the "game" of romance.

    Interestingly, there is the line "Ooh give you up" in the breakdown section, sung by a female voice. The purpose of this line is probably just musical and not lyrical and should not be interpreted as the woman being willing to give up the man.

    There, I deciphered the lyrics for you all!

    raketooyon August 11, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Back in the day Smash Hits mag called him "Dick Spatley". He was a cutie(gotta thing for the ginger boys ;)),his voice is so strong&clear. This song is about a guy who somehow figures out that a "friend" is all about him...and no matter what even if they decide friends with benefits doesn't work-he'll sniff,sniff never give her up. Or them or he or who ever,could be a little gray alien for all that we know.

    Thia007on November 17, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song means that I just got Rick Roll'd.

    GoSlash27on April 28, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I've been Rickrolled

    rmpyon May 06, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Kipsy-Koopa: Rick-rolling is a prank many people pull, often on forums or places where you put links to other sites. Often the link is disguised as a relevant link to whatever the page was about, but when clicked it sends you to the youtube page with this songs music video or another site with this song playing.

    It's quite fun actually

    evilMoWon September 16, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song is about getting Rick Rolled.

    OMFG_Philon December 02, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Some people get pissed off when they get "Rick Rolled" I however, and hopefully countless others, enjoy it, and get a good laugh, and maybe even sing along such as myself. Good work Mr. Astley, it's just a shame you couldn;t keep it up.

    za-ch!on December 08, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    he is a lovable ginger nerd! duh? and he has a great voice a catchy song! i genuinely like it I had never known about rickrolling i was trying to find out this singer with what i had remembered from watching the vid ages ago. a ginger. by a wall. dancing girls... it was hard work! but i finally found him lol

    jump up!on February 21, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    who does'nt love this song...............rick your the shit lol

    wonderwhatsnexton April 11, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.