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.
Stop! In The Name Of Love
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each time you leave my door
Watching you walk down the street
Knowing of the other love you meet
But this time before you run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
(Think it over) Haven't I I've been good to you baby
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you baby
CHORUS :
Stop! (Stop!) In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! (Stop!) In the name of love
Before you tear it apart
Think it over
I've known of your, your secluded nights
I've even seen her maybe once or twice
But is your innocent expression
Worth more than my love and affection?
This time before you leave my heart
And rush off into her arms
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you baby
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you baby
CHORUS
I'm trying hard, hard to be patient
I wish you'd stop this infatuation
But each time I think of you together
I see myself losing you forever
But this time before to run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you baby
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet enough baby
CHORUS
In "Stop! In the Name of Love," Barbara Dickson, the singer, is saying goodbye to her lover, but she is not letting him go without a warning. She knows that he is cheating on her, but she promises that he will not have her to fall back on if he leaves her for the other woman. She begs him to reconsider his actions before breaking her heart. Dickson's voice is filled with pain and anger as she sings to her lover to be faithful to her before he leaves for someone else's comfort. In the second verse, Barbara talks about how she knows that her lover has been spending time with the other woman in secret. She asks if it is worth it before ending their relationship.
The chorus of the song is a command to stop the affair before it destroys the relationship. The repeated phrase "stop in the name of love" is the ultimatum.
Overall, this song is about love, heartbreak, and betrayal. It captures the emotional pain of being betrayed, while also sending a strong message to be faithful in love.
Line by Line Meaning
You know baby, I'm aware of where you go
I know where you go when you leave my place
Each time you leave my door
Every time you walk out of my door
Watching you walk down the street
Observing you as you stroll down the street
Knowing of the other love you meet
Being aware of the other person you meet up with
But this time before you run to her
Before you rush to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
Abandoning me and causing me pain
(Think it over) Haven't I I've been good to you baby
(Consider this) Haven't I treated you well?
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you baby
(Consider this) Haven't I been kind to you?
CHORUS : Stop! (Stop!) In the name of love
Chorus: Halt! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Before you shatter my heart
Before you tear it apart
Before you rip it to pieces
Think it over
Consider your actions
I've known of your, your secluded nights
I'm aware of the nights you spend with her
I've even seen her maybe once or twice
Perhaps I've even seen her once or twice
But is your innocent expression
But does your innocent appearance
Worth more than my love and affection?
Mean more to you than my love and care?
This time before you leave my heart
This time before you break my heart
And rush off into her arms
And hurry to embrace her
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you baby
(Consider this) Haven't I treated you well?
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you baby
(Consider this) Haven't I been kind to you?
CHORUS
Chorus
I'm trying hard, hard to be patient
I'm making an effort to remain patient
I wish you'd stop this infatuation
I hope you'll end this crush
But each time I think of you together
But whenever I picture you both
I see myself losing you forever
I envision losing you forever
But this time before to run to her
But before rushing to her this time
Leaving me alone and hurt
Causing me to feel abandoned and pained
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you baby
(Consider this) Haven't I treated you well?
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet enough baby
(Consider this) Haven't I been kind enough to you?
CHORUS
Chorus
Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.