Anita's first starring role was in the 1983 sitcom Up the Elephant and Round the Castle, but she is most famous for playing the emotionally battered and alcoholic landlady, Angie Watts, in the BBC1 soap opera, EastEnders, a role which she played from the shows inception in 1985 to 1988. Interestingly, Anita was not the first person to be cast as Angie - another actress, Jean Fennell, had already began recording when it was decided that her performance did not gel with the original idea of the character, and so Anita landed the role at the last minute. Whilst playing Angie Watts, Anita worked closely with actor Leslie Grantham, who played her adultourous husband 'Dirty Den Watts'. 30.1 million viewers tuned in on Christmas day in 1986, to witness Den handing Angie her divorce papers, giving the soap its highest ever episode rating, which has yet to be beaten by any other plotline from any other soap in the UK.
Since quitting EastEnders in 1988, Anita has been asked to reprise her role numerous times, but never accepted the offer; recently she commented “Why tarnish the gorgeous creation that was Angie Watts?”. The character of Angie Watts was subsequently killed off-screen in 2002 (dying of a drink related illness) and brought home to be buried by her on-screen daughter Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who had recently returned to the show.
Since her exit from EastEnders she has appeared in many television, film and theatre roles, including the BBC sitcoms Red Dwarf, Rab C Nesbitt and her own sitcom series Split Ends (1989), which failed to succeed and lasted for only one series. She has also starred in the BBC drama's Dangerfield (1995) and Sunburn (1999); hospital dramas Casualty (2000) and Holby City (2003), and the ITV detective series The Last Detective (2004) among others. She has also been reunited with fellow EastEnder Leslie Grantham in the Sky production called The Stretch and Five's Horror series Urban Gothic (2000). Most recently she signed up for the ITV1 police drama The Bill in 2005.
Dobson trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, whose alumni also include Terence Stamp, Hugh Bonneville, Rupert Friend, Angela Lansbury, Matthew Goode, Sue Johnston, Minnie Driver and Julian Fellowes.
She was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in Frozen at the Royal National Theatre: Cottesloe. In August 1986 she reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart with "Anyone Can Fall in Love," a song based on the theme music of EastEnders, which was written by Simon May. She has also released several other singles and albums with minor chart success.
Anita is currently playing the role of Gertrude in the English Touring Theatre production of Hamlet, at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End, following a UK tour in Autumn 2005.
She once dated her EastEnders cast mate Tom Watt who played Lofty Holloway, but is now married to Queen guitarist Brian May.
Credit: wikipedia
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Anita Dobson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanted to believe you but I never could
You knew when I got it wrong
And ended up like some old tired country song
You were staring out the window
Trying to imagine someplace else to go
But you won't find it there
So don't turn off that song
Or switch it over there is nothing else on
It's a shame we're always changing our mind
Because we got it right the first time
When you surprised me with that kiss
I though I'm looking forward to looking back on this
You brought me home to meet your mother
We had it best when we only had each other
You said let's get out of here
I don't know, let's go anywhere
But don't turn off that song
Or switch it over there is nothing else on
It's a shame we're always changing our mind
Because we got it right the first time
I didn't know what to say
We shrugged our shoulders and walked away
I could never make up my mind
Whereas you got it right the first time
But don't turn off that song
Or switch it over there is nothing else on
It's a shame we're always changing our mind
Because we got it right the first time
The lyrics of Anita Dobson's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a melancholic reflection about a past relationship. The song talks about how the singer and her lover had something good before but eventually lost it due to changes in life and opinions. The first stanza talks about how the singer's lover knew when things were good, but the singer was skeptical despite wanting to believe. The second stanza talks about a time when the singer's lover surprised her with a kiss and they were happy with each other, but ultimately lost what they had. The third stanza talks about how the singer could never make up her mind while her lover got it right the first time, ending with a plea not to turn off the song because they got it right the first time.
The lyrics of the song show a bitter-sweet realization that they had a good thing going, but it was lost due to the complexities of life. They reflect on the idea that people often take things for granted, and only realize their worth after it's gone. The song is a tribute to lost love, fitting in the theme of looking back on a relationship with both fondness and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
You knew when we had it good
You were aware of the times when things were going well for us
I wanted to believe you but I never could
I had doubts about your sincerity, even though I wished to trust you
You knew when I got it wrong
You recognized when I made mistakes or failed to succeed
And ended up like some old tired country song
And it was like a clichéd, depressing country music tale
You were staring out the window
You were gazing out of the window aimlessly
Trying to imagine someplace else to go
Attempting to visualize a different location where you could be happier
But you won't find it there
You won't discover a better place by looking out the window like this
You won't find it anywhere
You won't find happiness or contentment anywhere else either
So don't turn off that song
Therefore, don't stop listening to this particular tune
Or switch it over there is nothing else on
Or change to a different channel, as there is nothing appealing currently
It's a shame we're always changing our mind
It's unfortunate how often we alter our opinions or plans
Because we got it right the first time
Since we were successful in making the right choice initially
When you surprised me with that kiss
When you unexpectedly kissed me, surprising me
I though I'm looking forward to looking back on this
I thought that someday in the future, I will remember and cherish this moment
You brought me home to meet your mother
You introduced me to your mother, and we visited your house
We had it best when we only had each other
We were happiest when we relied only on each other for companionship
You said let's get out of here
You suggested that we leave the current place or situation
I don't know, let's go anywhere
I don't have a preference, let's go anywhere else instead
I didn't know what to say
I was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond
We shrugged our shoulders and walked away
We both shrugged and moved on from the conversation without further discussion
I could never make up my mind
I was never able to decide on something definitively
Whereas you got it right the first time
While you were able to make the correct choice immediately
Writer(s): Evan Maccoll
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.