Dickson was born in Dunfermline. Her singing career started in folk clubs around her native Fife in the sixties, exposing her to a rich combination of traditional and contemporary music. In the early seventies, she sang at a Liverpool folk club run by a young student teacher called Willy Russell. He showed Barbara the first draft of what would later become the award winning musical, ‘John, Paul, George, Ringo….and Bert’ and asked her to perform the music. The combination of fine writing, a superb cast of young unknowns, (including Antony Sher, Bernard Hill and Trevor Eve), and Barbara’s idiosyncratic interpretation of Beatles songs made the show hugely successful.
The show’s co-producer, Robert Stigwood, signed Barbara to his record label, RSO Records, where she recorded the album ‘Answer Me’, the title track becoming a top ten hit in 1976. This led to her guest residency on the much-loved series ‘The Two Ronnies’, which brought Barbara’s singing to the attention of more than 10 million BBC viewers every week.
Also impressed by Barbara’s performance were Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who invited her to record ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’ from the new musical ‘Evita’, which became her second hit in 1977.
Other hits including ‘Caravan Song’ and ‘January, February’, followed in 1980.
In 1982, Willy Russell asked Barbara to star in his new musical ‘Blood Brothers’ in the pivotal role of the mother, Mrs. Johnstone. Although at first reluctant to accept, having never acted before, (not even in a school play!), she rose to the challenge, in the process garnering critical acclaim as well as Actress of the Year in a Musical from the Society of West End Theatres in 1984.
Later that year, Tim Rice approached Barbara to take part in the cast album recording of the musical ‘Chess’, which included the song ‘I Know Him So Well’, a duet sung with Elaine Paige. The song was a worldwide hit and remained at number one in the UK charts for many weeks.
During the 1990s Barbara appeared in various TV dramas including ‘Taggart’, the award winning ‘Band of Gold’ and ‘The Missing Postman’.
Acclaimed writer and director Chris Bond created a show for Barbara in 1996 called ‘The Seven Ages of Woman’ which won her the Liverpool Echo Actress of the Year Award. It premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse and toured extensively in 1997 and 1998.
In 1999, Barbara starred in ‘Spend, Spend, Spend’, a new musical by Steve Brown and Justin Greene. The show, based on the rollercoaster life story of pools winner, Viv Nicholson, played in the West End to capacity audiences. For her portrayal of Viv, Barbara was awarded ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ at the 2000 Laurence Olivier Awards.
Barbara continues to appear in concert and on record. She has in the last few years had great success with ‘The Platinum Collection’, which featured some of her most successful recordings.
Her last album, ‘Full Circle’, a journey back through her musical history, was hugely admired and well reviewed. Barbara’s most recent CD is an eclectic collection of the songs of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison called ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change My World.’
During 2006 she has appeared as the Timekeeper in Alan Ayckbourn and Denis King’s fantasy musical play
‘Whenever’ for BBC Radio 4 and presented ‘Finding A Voice’, also for BBC Radio 4.
Married with three teenaged sons, Barbara lives in Lincolnshire. An O.B.E. was conferred upon her in the Queens’ New Year’s Honours in 2002.
Deep Into My Soul
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess I had until you came along
Then you built the fire so warm, so deep inside
And you keep it burning to keep me satisfied
Baby, baby, keep on loving me
Oh, you always get the best of me
So take me down to the river where the sweet emotions roll
Every time you hold me, you make me feel so much
You turn my world around with just a touch
Oh you are a love thief that slips into my mind
And while we're in the shadow I let you steal me blind
Baby, baby, keep on loving me
Oh, you always get the best of me
So take me down to the river where the sweet emotions roll
And I let your love flow deep into my soul
I let your love flow deep into my soul
The song "Deep Into My Soul" by Barbara Dickson is a passionate declaration of love and surrender. The lyrics describe the transformative power of a new love that has touched the singer's soul in a way that no other love has done before. She begins by stating that she thought she had experienced everything a woman can experience in terms of love, but then someone came along and built a fire so warm and deep inside her that it keeps her satisfied. She is clearly enamored with this person and is willing to let them love her completely.
The chorus is a plea for this person to continue loving her, and she acknowledges that they always get the best of her. She wants to be taken to a place where they can be surrounded by the sweet emotions that flow like a river. The metaphorical river is a symbol of their love and the deep connection they share. It is a place where they can be together and let their love flow into each other's souls.
Throughout the song, the singer talks about how much this person affects her, how they make her feel, and how they have slipped into her mind and stolen her heart. The lyrics are heartfelt and full of emotion, reflecting the intensity of the love she feels.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I'd been as far as any woman had gone
I believed I had experienced everything a woman could until you arrived
Guess I had until you came along
I was mistaken as I had never encountered someone like you before
Then you built the fire so warm, so deep inside
You ignited within me an intense and passionate flame
And you keep it burning to keep me satisfied
You sustain this fire to keep me content and fulfilled
Baby, baby, keep on loving me
My affectionate address to you, urging you to continue loving me
Oh, you always get the best of me
You always bring out the best in me and I give all of myself to you
So take me down to the river where the sweet emotions roll
Take me away to where I can be swept away by emotions that are pure and genuine
And I let your love flow deep into my soul
I allow your love to penetrate my being, affecting me deeply and profoundly
Every time you hold me, you make me feel so much
Just the mere act of your touch causes me to experience an incredible amount of emotions
You turn my world around with just a touch
Your touch is so powerful that it is enough to completely change my outlook
Oh you are a love thief that slips into my mind
You have the ability to invade my thoughts and steal my heart away
And while we're in the shadow I let you steal me blind
When we find ourselves in the darkness, I willingly surrender to you without reservation
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.