M. Rabiger in Directing the Documentary (2009), p284-7, outlines the three act structure, or more broadly, ‘the escalation of pressure up to a crisis,’ that is present in most works of fiction, especially Hollywood cinema. Rabiger contends that this dramatic curve can be seen even in songs, dances, mimes and more, so I decided to test this theory with one of my favourite songs, ‘Never Going to Give You Up,’ by Rick Astley.

The song opens with an instrumental introduction, signalling the beginning of the First Act. This sets up the melody of the song that will be present throughout. The melody is upbeat, and instantly recognisable, communicating to the audience that the main scope and focus of this song is to be a chirpy pop song that will get stuck in your head all day.

The inciting moment for the song is perhaps when the vocals kick in, with Astley singing ‘we’re no strangers to love.’ The onset of these vocals starts to outline more clearly for the audience the narrative of the song, and the hypothetical conversation the lyrics are having with a different character, i.e. Astley’s love interest.

As the verse beings, the tension escalates, conveying the beginning of Act two. The lyrics outline Astley is ‘never going to give you up’, perhaps indicative, through the repetition of the verse, his struggle to make clear his feelings. We come to gain a greater understanding of the singer’s feelings and intentions, and are invited to feel empathy.

The climax of the song lies about three quarters of the way through, as the verse becomes constantly repeated, and eventually fades out until the end of the song, together with the instrumentals. Here the song is resolving itself, emphasizing the notion ‘I just want to tell you what I’m feeling,’ and released the tension of the dramatic arc that had been building up to this point.

Of course, the narrative of a song is very simplified compared to that of a film or documentary, but I think this demonstrates that Rabiger’s theory applies quite well even to popular music.