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.
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I try to explain how I feel
That I still need your love after all that I've done
You won't believe me
All you will see is a girl you once knew
Although she's dressed up to the nines
At sixes and sevens with you
I had to let it happen, I had to change
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
So I chose freedom
Running around, trying everything new
But nothing impressed me at all
I never expected it to
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
They are illusions
They are not the solutions they promised to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me
Don't cry for me Argentina
Have I said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you.
But all you have to do is look at me to know
That every word is true
In Barbara Dickson's song Don't Cry For Me Argentina, she addresses the people of Argentina in a message that is both confessional and heartfelt. The song is interesting in that it is a tribute to Eva Perón, the former First Lady of Argentina whose life and work inspired both admiration and controversy. Dickson's lyrics speak to the delicate balance that exists between the public and private lives of public figures, and how easily the two can become entangled. Through her lyrics, we see a woman who is brave enough to admit that she has made mistakes, but who is also determined to move forward and maintain her integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
It won't be easy, you'll think it strange
I know that what I have to say will be hard for you to hear, and you may not believe it
When I try to explain how I feel
I will do my best to describe my emotions and thoughts
That I still need your love after all that I've done
Even though I have made mistakes and done things that may have hurt you, I still have a deep need for your love
You won't believe me
I understand that you may not trust what I say
All you will see is a girl you once knew
You may only see the person I was before, rather than accepting the changes I have gone through
Although she's dressed up to the nines
Even though I may look different on the outside
At sixes and sevens with you
I still feel confused and unsure when it comes to our relationship
I had to let it happen, I had to change
I had to let myself grow and change in order to move forward in life
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
I couldn't stay stuck in the same place and way of living forever
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
I spent too much time looking out at the world, but not actually living and being a part of it
So I chose freedom
I needed to let go and experience life in all its forms
Running around, trying everything new
I took risks and explored new opportunities and experiences
But nothing impressed me at all
Despite these new experiences, nothing was truly fulfilling
I never expected it to
My journey showed me that true fulfillment comes from something more stable and enduring than mere excitement
Don't cry for me Argentina
Please don't be sad or mournful for me, even though I have changed
The truth is I never left you
I still cared for you throughout my journey and change, even if it didn't seem that way
All through my wild days
Even through the challenging, turbulent times
My mad existence
The unpredictable and somewhat chaotic nature of my existence
I kept my promise
I remained true to the love and connection we shared
Don't keep your distance
Please still be a part of my life and don't withdraw from me
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I thought that fame and riches would bring me happiness and contentment
I never invited them in
But I didn't actively seek them out or prioritize them over what really mattered
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
Despite appearances, external success and fame were never my primary goals or desires
They are illusions
I realized that these things are fleeting and ultimately not as valuable as true connection and love
They are not the solutions they promised to be
External success and validation are not the answer to inner turmoil and unhappiness
The answer was here all the time
The truth is that what truly matters was with me all along
I love you and hope you love me
I care deeply for you and hope that we can continue to have a meaningful relationship
Have I said too much?
I wonder if I have said more than what needed to be said and if I am overwhelming you
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you.
I have shared all that I have in my heart and mind, and I don't have any other words or expressions to give
But all you have to do is look at me to know
If you just observe me closely, you will see the truth in what I have said
That every word is true
My words are genuinely and sincerely spoken straight from my heart
Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Folha Verde
Depois de tanto sofrimento do povo argentino, que vem desde o tempo de Evita, depois Guevara, agora Maradona, esta voz e esta música chiram por todos nós que amamos os mais humildes e a vida, go in peace, Padinha
Allan Fletcher
tremendous voice, so 'rounded' and powerful. A great version of this piece of music.
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 76yo Aussie fan.
Chris Lucius
Barbara Dickson e Barbara Jo Anne are the same girl?
TheScunneredMan
Sacrilege some might say. But this is a fraction better than Julie Covington's version. I feel the orchestration is a tad better too.
TheScunneredMan
@Chris Lucius where on earth did you hear that. And what has it to do with my posting.
Chris Lucius
Barbara Dickson and Barbara Jo Anne are the same girl?