Rick Astley Re-Records ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ To Highlight Hearing Loss

Can you hear the difference? Rick Astley has re-recorded his biggest hit – but with a subtle twist.

The ’80s icon has gone into the studio to tweak his iconic anthem ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ with a few changes to lyrics that have been commonly misheard for decades.

In the new version of the track, Astley now sings about “dessert spoons”, instead of “desert you”, and replaced “your heart’s been aching” with the line “your aunt’s been naked”.

As well as this, the music legend can now be heard singing about “broken mittens” and “seeds” at various points in the track.

Astley, who has revealed he is living with some hearing loss, re-recorded the song with Specsavers, to highlight how hearing loss can often be ignored and encourage people to take action if they notice changes.

He said: “I had great fun re-recording the song and discovering the amusing ways people have misheard my lyrics.

“It felt weird singing different lyrics but I’m pleased to be raising awareness of hearing loss, as there is still a stigma around this.

“I’ve noticed my hearing changing over time so I recently had a hearing test at Specsavers.

“It showed I have some hearing loss, probably a result of playing the drums as a kid and working in the music industry, so I’ve now got my first hearing aids.

“It’s important to remember that everyone’s hearing is different – some people lose high notes, others lose low-frequency sounds.

“I’d encourage anyone to get their hearing tested if they notice any changes, so they don’t lose the sounds or music they love.”

The track follows research from Specsavers, which found ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ is one of the nation’s top 10 most misheard songs, alongside Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’ and Eurythmics ‘Sweet Dreams’.

However, one in six blame mishearing song lyrics on struggling to hear properly, despite 56% confessing to never having their hearing tested.

More than half (51%) find conversations with background noise difficult and 28% can’t hear the TV or radio properly – both common early signs of hearing loss.

One in three have noticed changes in their hearing over the last 10 years, but 57% have taken no action to address these changes.

But staggeringly, other studies have shown people often wait as long as 10 years before addressing changes in their hearing.

Dr. Michael Mosley said: “Hearing loss affects millions of individuals worldwide, but often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

“If you notice any changes in your hearing, don’t wait 10 years to get checked.

“Hearing change is completely normal and is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about.”

For respondents with hearing issues, coping mechanisms include nodding or saying ‘yes’ (44%), leaning ears closer (3%), or awkwardly laughing (32%).

While 45% asked people to frequently repeat themselves, 70% confessed to finding this embarrassing, the research conducted via OnePoll found.

But still, many aren’t getting their hearing tested because they don’t feel like it was needed (47%), are too busy (14%) or because no one they know gets their hearing checked (10%).

Specsavers audiologist Gurleen Brar, who conducted Rick’s hearing test, added: “We understand that we all hear differently because we care for more ears across the UK than anyone else.

“We believe everyone deserves to hear life in their own unique way and we are determined to help close the 10-year gap that exists currently.

“The quicker we understand the way that we hear, the quicker we can act when we notice changes which will help minimize any long-term impact.”

Produced in association with SWNS Talker