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.
How Long
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How long has this been going on?
How long has this been going on?
Well your friends with their fancy persuasion
Don't admit that it's part of a scheme
But I can't help but have my suspicion
Well you said you were never intending
To break up our scene in this way
But there ain't any use in pretending
It could happen to us any day
CHORUS
Well your friends and their gentle persuasion
Don't admit it's part of a scheme
But I can't help but have my suspicion
'Cause I ain't quite as dumb as I seem
Well you said you were never intending
To break up our scene in this way
But there ain't any use in pretending
It could happen to us any day
CHORUS (TO FADE)
Barbara Dickson's song "How Long" is a ballad about suspicion and doubt in a relationship. The chorus repeats the question, "How long has this been going on?" This question is meant to suggest that there may be something going on behind the scenes which the singer is not aware of but is slowly catching on to. She admits that her partner's friends, with their "fancy persuasion", may not be telling the whole truth about what is going on, but she is not as dumb as she seems and can sense that something is amiss.
The song reflects the common experience of feeling a sense of unease in a relationship but not having concrete evidence to support suspicions. The singer expresses her doubt by pointing out that it could happen to them any day, and there is no use pretending that their relationship is immune to temptation or outside influences. The song is a plea for honesty and clarity in communication between partners, and a warning that relationships can easily fall apart when trust is eroded.
Overall, Barbara Dickson's "How Long" is a poignant reflection on the fragility of romantic relationships and the importance of honesty and trust. It is a reminder that even the most seemingly solid relationships can dissolve quickly when there is a lack of transparency and a failure to confront suspicions head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
Well your friends with their fancy persuasion
Your friends, with their manipulative ways, make me suspicious.
Don't admit that it's part of a scheme
They won't openly acknowledge that they're trying to deceive me.
But I can't help but have my suspicion
Despite their denial, I still feel doubtful and uneasy.
'Cause I ain't quite as dumb as I seem
I may seem naive, but I'm not completely oblivious to what's going on.
Well you said you were never intending
You claimed that breaking us up was not your intention.
To break up our scene in this way
You didn't plan on causing disruption in our relationship.
But there ain't any use in pretending
However, it's pointless to pretend that it couldn't happen to us.
It could happen to us any day
The threat of our relationship falling apart is always looming over us.
Well your friends and their gentle persuasion
Your friends, who use subtler tactics, make me wary.
CHORUS
The singer wonders how long this situation will go on.
CHORUS (TO FADE)
Repetition of the singer's question about how long this will continue until the song fades out.
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.