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
Slipping Away
Rick Astley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
People ask me how's your love affair
I an only tell them lies
When they ask me where you are tonight
You may find somebody new
You'll say you love him, that's not true
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
Everybody thinks we're so in love
But things aren't always what they seem
Even my best friend says we're so good
Just how wrong can a person be
You may find somebody new
You'll say you love him, that's not true
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
The song "Slipping Away" by Rick Astley is a melancholic expression of a dying relationship. The lyrics detail the singer's despair as he feels his lover's affection slipping away from him little by little. He tries to disguise his sadness by lying to those who inquire about his love life, but even his closest friend's belief that they're happy together isn't the truth. The pain of knowing that his lover may find someone new and pretend to love them is also evident in the song.
The hopelessness of the situation is viewed from the perspective of the singer. He feels the relationship slipping out of his grasp, watching it drain out of his heart every day. The repeated phrase "I can feel your love slipping away," serves as a poignant reminder of the fading connection that was once so strong. The song's message resonates with those who have been in a similar situation - when feelings fade away, and love is lost.
In summary, "Slipping Away" is a song that mirrors the emotions of a relationship slowly disintegrating. The lyrics express the singer's anguish as he watches his lover's love drain away, leaving him with little hope for the future. It's a song that speaks to the heart and soul of lovers who have experienced the pain of a dying relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I can feel your love slipping away
I'm starting to sense that your love for me is decreasing
Draining from my heart each and every day
It feels like my heart is losing its connection with the love we once shared
People ask me how's your love affair
I'm being asked about the state of our romantic relationship
I can only tell them lies
Because things aren't going well, I can only give them a false answer
When they ask me where you are tonight
I'm being questioned about your whereabouts and activities
I can only fantasize
I have no idea where you are, so I'm left to imagine what you're doing
You may find somebody new
It's possible that you might seek out a new romantic partner
You'll say you love him, that's not true
Despite your claims of love for someone new, those feelings won't be genuine
Everybody thinks we're so in love
Our romantic relationship is regarded by outsiders to be strong and adoring
But things aren't always what they seem
Appearances can be deceptive, and our relationship may not be as healthy as it seems
Even my best friend says we're so good
Even the person who knows me best thinks our relationship is in great shape
Just how wrong can a person be
Despite my friend's good intentions, they may not have an accurate understanding of our romantic connection
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICK ASTLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@reneesqueti3571
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
People ask me how's your love affair
I an only tell them lies
When they ask me where you are tonight
I can only fantasize
You may find somebody new
You'll say you love him, that's not true
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
Everybody thinks we're so in love
But things aren't always what they seem
Even my best friend says we're so good
Just how wrong can a person be
You may find somebody new
You'll say you love him, that's not true
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
@brianpatrickofficial
This is my favorite song on the album. This and “Together Forever”. I have this cassette.
@SerotoninCrunch
they play together forever every night at work. I love it
@cacarotocacimbinha2905
Tem ne
@LemonDrip
SAME!!! I love listening to it on my walkman.
@reneesqueti3571
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
People ask me how's your love affair
I an only tell them lies
When they ask me where you are tonight
I can only fantasize
You may find somebody new
You'll say you love him, that's not true
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
Everybody thinks we're so in love
But things aren't always what they seem
Even my best friend says we're so good
Just how wrong can a person be
You may find somebody new
You'll say you love him, that's not true
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
I can feel your love slipping away
Draining from my heart each and every day
@undead8995
Man I wasn’t even alive when this song happened but I miss it
@LemonDrip
that is so true
@miguelsanmartin2691
LO ESCUCHABA EN LA RADIO EN 1988 MAS DE 30 AÑOS ATRÁS CUANDO ESTABA DE MODA
@jxehaynes
I'm never gonna give this song up...
@izzymurati1987
I like your reply there