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.
Here There And Everywhere
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here, making each day of the year
Changing my life with the wave of your hand
Nobody can deny that there's something there
There, running my hands through your hair
Both of us thinking how good it can be
I want you everywhere and if you're beside me
I know I need never care
But to love you is to need you everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching your eyes and hoping I'm always there
I want you everywhere
Everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching your eyes and hoping I'm always there
To be there and everywhere
Here, there and everywhere
The song "Here, There and Everywhere" by Barbara Dickson is a love ballad that speaks of the need for love and companionship in life. In the first stanza, the singer shares her desire to lead a better life and emphasises that she needs love to accompany her on her journey. The lyrics continue with an imagery of someone who is capable of changing the singer's life with the wave of their hand. She expresses her unconditional love for her partner and how much she wants to be with them both moral and physical support.
The second stanza describes the intimacy between the singer and her lover. They are lost in each other's thoughts, and they wonder how good life can be together. As someone speaks to them, they are oblivious to the outside world and the only thing that seems to matter to them is their love for each other. The chorus repeats the assurance of never-ending love and the need for having love everywhere.
The lyrics evoke a feeling of unconditional love and emphasize the importance of companionship in life. It highlights the fact that when two people are in love, their thoughts, actions and decisions are intertwined, and they always have each other's back. The song is a beautifully written love letter to someone and emphasizes the need to be together "here, there, and everywhere."
Line by Line Meaning
To lead a better life I need my love to be here...
I need my partner to be with me to have a fulfilling life
Here, making each day of the year
Being with my partner every day would make each day special
Changing my life with the wave of your hand
My partner has the power to transform my life with a simple gesture
Nobody can deny that there's something there
There is an undeniable connection between me and my partner
There, running my hands through your hair
I am physically close to my partner, enjoying their company
Both of us thinking how good it can be
We are both imagining how wonderful our future together could be
Someone is speaking but she doesn't know he's there
There are others around, but my focus is solely on my partner
I want you everywhere and if you're beside me
I want my partner with me always, and if they are, I feel complete
I know I need never care
When my partner is with me, I don't have to worry or feel anxious
But to love you is to need you everywhere
My love for my partner means I want them with me always
Knowing that love is to share
Real love involves sharing experiences and supporting each other
Each one believing that love never dies
Both me and my partner believe our love will endure forever
Watching your eyes and hoping I'm always there
I want to be there for my partner, looking into their eyes and supporting them
To be there and everywhere
I want to be present for my partner wherever they need me
Here, there and everywhere
Whether we're together or apart, our love endures in all places
Contributed by Jackson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.