# What's the deal with Nick Lowe and Rick Astley? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142 "2008-10-22T22:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/1 "2008-10-22T22:58:11Z")
In the Nick Lowe song “All Men Are Liars” there are the following lines Do you remember Rick Astley? He had a big fat hit that was ghastly. He said I’m never gonna give you up or let you down. Well I’m here to tell ya that Dick’s a clown What did Rick Astley do to cause this? Steal Nick Lowe’s girlfriend? Say that he was moree talented than Nick Lowe? Or is it just a good rhyme? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/2 "2008-10-22T23:05:23Z")
I believe [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI) explains things sufficiently. (I’m sorry- what with the subject matter, I just couldn’t help it.) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/3 "2008-10-22T23:35:15Z")
Nick Lowe’s big hit was “Cruel To Be Kind.” Tell you anything … LOL Rick (Richard or Dick in the lyrics) Astley was a product of Stock Aitken Waterman. Those producers also did Bananarama, Kylie Minogue, Samantha Fox, and other artists recorded their work. Dead or Alive’s _You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)_. Laura Branigan’s _Shattered Glass_, Donna Summer’s comeback _This Time I Know It’s For Real_. You can see those song’s all are somewhat similar ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/4 "2008-10-22T23:48:57Z")
For all their chart success, Stock Aitken & Waterman were somewhat despised; as were the acts associated with them. Popular with Smash Hits reading teenyboppers, not so much with the NME crowd. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/5 "2008-10-23T00:04:10Z")
The Astley bashing is punctuated by the fact that in a song with only two verses, one of those verses in its entirety is devoted to Astley bashing. [Lyrics](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/nick+lowe/all+men+are+liars_20237715.html) The chorus and second verse simply address the lying that men do in a general sense, calling out no man in particular. The Astley bashing would be less stinging were the song to give a long list of examples of lying men, with Astley being just one example in a list of many. Nope, not the case. He’s the only one called out. An entire verse devoted to him in a song with only two verses total. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/6 "2008-10-23T03:42:07Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > He’s the only one called out. An entire verse devoted to him in a song with only two verses total. So you’re saying that’s a Lowe blow? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/7 "2008-10-23T04:12:54Z")
_Pop Will Eat Itself_ expanded on the case a bit with these lyrics: “Astley’s in the noose, hang loose, kid. Lift the lid on the crimes he did…” Everybody hates Astley. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-nick-lowe-and-rick-astley/469142/8 "2008-10-23T05:06:15Z")
There’s always the fact that Rick Astley sucks donkey balls. That’s always been reason enough. Search your heart, you know it to be true.