In 1985, Astley was playing the club circuit as a singer with a soul band named FBI, when he was seen by the record producer Pete Waterman and persuaded to come to London to work at the PWL recording studio. Under the tutelage of production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, Astley was taught about the recording process and groomed for his future career, supposedly starting off as the recording studio 'tea boy'. During much of his career prior to the proliferation of music videos, many listeners assumed he was black. In one instance, the comedic entertainer, Sinbad, discussed him with a talk-show host, expressing his surprise that Astley was not "one of the brothers." Even after his visual appearance, it was still popular belief that he was miming for a black American singer. His brother Mark Astley helped to refute this assertion.
His first single was the little-known "When You Gonna" credited to Rick & Lisa, but his first solo outing was "Never Gonna Give You Up," released in 1987. It became an immediate success, spending five weeks at the top of the British charts and becoming the year's highest-selling single. It was the first of no fewer than 13 (world-wide) Top 30 hit singles for him.
The album Whenever You Need Somebody also reached Number One in the UK, and the hit singles continued, including the title track and a cover of Nat King Cole's "When I Fall In Love."
On 12 March 1988, "Never Gonna Give You Up" had also topped the U.S. singles chart and was followed by a second U.S. #1 on 18 June with his second U.S. single release "Together Forever."
By the end of the decade, Astley had parted company with Stock Aitken Waterman. He achieved one more major success with the 1991 ballad "Cry For Help," which reached the Top 10 in both the UK and the U.S. It featured a gospel choir arranged by Andraé Crouch, who'd also been involved with Madonna's 1989 hit "Like A Prayer."
His next album Body & Soul was released in 1993. The album did not chart in the U.K. and managed to make The Billboard 200 peaking at a lowly #182. The two singles, The Ones You Love and Hopelessly performed very well on the adult contemporary chart, peaking at #19 and #4 respectively. Hopelessly also crossed over and peaked at #31 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Astley remained largely out of the spotlight.
In 1991 the RIAA certified that two million copies of Whenever You Need Somebody had been sold. Total world sales of Astley's records (inclusive of singles, albums and compilation inclusions) have reached 40 million.
Almost 10 years after "Body & Soul", Rick finally returned to the music world and released "Keep It Turned On" in 2002. The album featured the single "Sleeping", which became a minor club hit, thanks to a set of remixes from U.S. house producer Todd Terry.
In 2005 Astley released the album Portrait in which he covered many classic soul standards such as "Vincent", "Nature Boy" and "Close To You".
In early 2006, Astley withdrew unexpectedly at the eleventh hour from appearing on the BBC TV celebrity/pro duets show Just the Two of Us after committing to the series. This led to criticism from those in the entertainment industry and media. His place was filled by opera singer Russell Watson, who eventually won the competition. The BBC failed to explain that Astley's withdrawal was due to his partner Lene Bausager being nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for her produced/directed film "Cashback". Astley would have missed a crucial part of the show by attending the awards ceremony and so withdrew before the show started its run.
Based on various music charts in the UK, U.S. and Canada, Astley has charted a grand total of 14 (different) hit singles and 6 (different) hit albums as of March 2006.
During the later part of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, the song "Never Gonna Give You Up" became part of an internet meme similar to the "Duckrolling" of the 4chan game forums. A link would be submitted to the forum, in the first instances to a supposed trailer of a new game, and would redirect the user to the video. This process fondly became known as a "Rickroll", and the usage of which has developed exponentially since. As a result of the increased publicity Rick Astley's former record company (RCA) released a greatest hits album.
In 2008, he won the Best Act Ever prize at MTV EMA's. In the same year he Rick rolled America on National TV in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade..thanks to Cartoon Network
Pieces
Rick Astley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I patiently take aim
I've got you in the crosshair
Never gonna hurt me or anybody else again
Yes you rule the world for now
You do
Yes you rule the world for now
Yes you rule the world
Yes you rule the world for now
I'm starting with you
And then I'll take the room to pieces
To pieces
I'm starting with you
Then I'll take the room to pieces
To pieces
To pieces
Prowling through the city
I need someone to blame
Tomorrow's headline news
You'll all know my name
Yes you rule the world for now
You do
Yes you rule the world for now
Yes you rule the world
You and all your money
Yes you rule the world for now
I'm starting with you
And then I'll take the room to pieces
To pieces
I'm starting with you
Then I'll take the room to pieces
To pieces
I'll put away my crossbow
So empty all your guns
Maybe there's another way
To get things done
Yes they rule the world for now
They do
Yes they rule the world for now
But we can take the air
They can keep their money
Yes we rule the world for now
If we choose to
I'm starting with you
And then we'll find a place where peace is
I'm starting with you
And then I'll build a place
Where peace is
Where peace is
I'll find a place where peace is
The lyrics in Rick Astley's song "Pieces" speaks of a person who is taking action against someone who they deem as responsible for all the problems in the world. The person is seen as a powerful figure with money and influence, someone who "rules the world for now." The singer seems to be tired of the person's manipulation and takes out their crossbow to take aim at the person, the singer then declares that the person will never hurt them or anyone else again.
The song progresses with the singer saying that they will start with the person and then take the room or the environment they are in to pieces. The singer is so angry that they are prowling through the city and need someone to blame for all the problems. The singer's desire to take down the person in charge of everything is so strong that they want to be known by everyone for what they are doing. The chorus repeats as the singer declares that the person in power has money and that they rule the world for now.
In the bridge, the singer says that they will stop with the crossbow and encourage the person to empty all their guns. The singer then says that maybe there's another way to get things done. In the last chorus, the singer says that the person in power rules the world for now, but they can take the air and keep their money, and "we rule the world for now if we choose to." The song ending reiterates the singer's desire to find a place where peace is and build it.
Line by Line Meaning
Reaching for my crossbow
I am ready to fight against someone who deserves to be punished.
I patiently take aim
I am calm and focused in my mission to bring justice.
I've got you in the crosshair
I have targeted the person who needs to be punished.
Never gonna hurt me or anybody else again
I will make sure that this person never causes harm to anyone again.
Yes you rule the world for now
You may have power and control at the moment, but it won't last forever.
You do
You truly have control at the moment.
You and all your money
Your wealth and money may give you control at the moment.
I'm starting with you
I'll punish you first because I've targeted you as the culprit.
And then I'll take the room to pieces
I'll bring destruction to your entire organization.
To pieces
I'll completely shatter your organization.
Prowling through the city
I am moving with stealth and caution.
I need someone to blame
I am looking for someone to hold accountable for wrongdoing.
Tomorrow's headline news
My actions will catch the attention of the media.
You'll all know my name
My actions will bring me attention and recognition.
I'll put away my crossbow
I am willing to consider a less violent approach.
So empty all your guns
I am urging others to put away their weapons and not resort to violence.
Maybe there's another way
Perhaps there is a better approach to solving problems.
To get things done
To achieve the desired outcome.
But we can take the air
We can rise above the current situation and take control.
They can keep their money
We don't need their wealth and power to be successful.
Yes we rule the world for now
We have the power to control the situation at the moment.
If we choose to
It's up to us to take the necessary action.
And then we'll find a place where peace is
We'll work together to create a peaceful environment.
And then I'll build a place
I'll take the lead and make the effort to establish a peaceful environment.
Where peace is
A safe and peaceful place where everyone can thrive.
Contributed by Charlie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.