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.
It Makes Me Feel Good
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all that rain
It makes me feel good
Lovelight gathered in your sleepy eyes
Such a sweet surprise
It makes me feel good
Makes me wanna roll on
Makes me wanna roll on
Come on and love me 'till I lose my mind
Music playing on the radio
In the afterglow
It makes me feel good
Shadows growing on the hardwood floor
With the night in store
It makes me feel good
Makes me wanna roll on
Got me feeling so strong
Makes me wanna roll on
Come on and love me 'till I lose my mind
Well there's no joy
Waiting outside my door
It's good to be here, boy
'Cause what we've done here is only so far
Makes me wanna roll on
Got me feeling so strong
Makes me wanna roll on
Come on and love me 'till I lose my mind
Makes me feel good
Makes me feel good
Makes me feel good
Makes me feel good
The lyrics of Barbara Dickson’s song It Makes Me Feel Good are all about the various simple things in life that can make us feel happy and content. The first verse talks about sunshine streaming in through a window after a period of rain, bringing with it feelings of warmth and positivity. The second verse refers to the presence of a loved one, whose sleepy eyes and sweet surprises bring joy and happiness. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “Makes me wanna roll on” several times, symbolizing the sense of momentum and energy that this positivity can create within a person.
The second half of the song continues to describe moments of pleasure and contentment - this time, music playing on the radio and the comfort of being inside on a dark night. The lyrics also touch on the idea that these moments of joy are not always easy to come by, as the outside world can be full of difficulties and challenges. Despite this, the chorus repeats again, emphasizing the sense that these happy moments can propel us forward and help us face whatever may be ahead.
Overall, It Makes Me Feel Good is a song that captures the idea that happiness and contentment can come from even the simplest of things. Whether it’s sunshine, a loved one’s presence, or a favorite song playing on the radio, these moments have the power to lift us up and help us face whatever may be ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunshine spilling on my window pane
The sun's rays falling on my window glass are such a sight to behold after experiencing constant rain, it feels good.
After all that rain
The previous rainy days have finally stopped and it feels good to see sunshine.
Lovelight gathered in your sleepy eyes
Your eyes are full of love and it's a delightful surprise to find that, it makes me feel good.
Such a sweet surprise
The delightful gleam in your eyes is an unexpected but pleasing sight, it makes me feel good.
Makes me wanna roll on
I feel so energized and confident that I want to keep going, it feels good.
Got me feeling so strong
I feel capable and empowered, it feels good.
Come on and love me 'till I lose my mind
Stay with me and love me so deeply that it makes me lose all sense of time and space, it feels good.
Music playing on the radio
The enjoyable tunes on the radio make me feel good.
In the afterglow
The tranquil and peaceful feeling after an enjoyable and satisfying experience makes me feel good.
Shadows growing on the hardwood floor
The gradually lengthening shadows on the floor indicate that evening is approaching, it makes me feel good.
With the night in store
I look forward to the upcoming night and its possibilities, it feels good.
Well there's no joy
There is nothing outside my safe haven that I would enjoy, hence being here makes me feel good.
Waiting outside my door
The outside world is not very exciting, so being inside with you is where I feel good.
It's good to be here, boy
I feel happy and content to be here with you, it feels good.
'Cause what we've done here is only so far
We've only just begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities of what we can do together, it feels good.
Makes me feel good
Overall, every single experience mentioned in the song makes me feel good.
Contributed by Sophie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rose
the original artist for this song is actually aretha franklin
fontenayperi
actually it is. indeed Carole King wrote that song but it was first released by Franklin in 1967. King only recorded it in 1971 for the tapestry album. anyway Dickson's version sucks
Ella Lena
Barbara Dickson is a very good singer.. i have seen he in concert many times and she is superb.