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.
The Fool On The Hill
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alone on a hill
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him
They can see that he's just a fool
And he never gives an answer
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
See the world spinning 'round
Well on the way, head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
Nobody ever hears him
Or the sound he appears to make
And he never seems to notice
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning 'round
Nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do
And he never shows his feelings
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning 'round
He never listens to them,
He knows that they're the fool
They don't like him
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning 'round
In Barbara Dickson's song, "The Fool on the Hill," she describes a man who is often seen on top of a hill, appearing foolish in the eyes of others. Despite his peculiar behavior, no one wants to get to know him or take the time to understand him. The man is seen as a fool, and he never answers to anyone's questions, instead remaining perfectly still on the hill.
However, the man not only sees the sun going down, but also sees the world spinning around. He is aware of the environment around him, and he seems content in his isolated world on the hill. He has an air of confidence about him, and while others may judge him for it, he knows that they are the real fools.
The song speaks to the value of maintaining an individual perspective and acting according to one's own convictions, even if others may not understand or approve. It conveys the idea that it is possible to find peace and contentment in solitude, and that being seen as a fool is not necessarily a bad thing.
Line by Line Meaning
Day after day
Repeatedly and consistently over time
Alone on a hill
Isolated and elevated from others
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
Despite his apparent foolishness, he remains still and at peace
But nobody wants to know him
Others do not care or take interest in him
They can see that he's just a fool
Others think he is foolish or unintelligent
And he never gives an answer
He remains quiet and avoids confrontation
But the fool on the hill
Despite his appearance, he has a unique perspective
Sees the sun going down
Observes the passing of time and change in the world
And the eyes in his head
His perception and perspective
See the world spinning 'round
Take note of the constant change and movement of the world
Well on the way, head in a cloud
Preoccupied with his thoughts and inner world
The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
Though he speaks often, his words fall on deaf ears
Nobody ever hears him
Others do not listen to him
Or the sound he appears to make
His words and actions go unnoticed
And he never seems to notice
He is unaware of how little others pay attention to him
Nobody seems to like him
Others do not have a positive opinion of him
They can tell what he wants to do
Others can predict his intentions or desires
And he never shows his feelings
He keeps his emotions hidden from others
He knows that they're the fool
He recognizes the flawed thinking or behavior of others
The fool on the hill
He is somewhat of an outcast or outsider
Sees the sun going down
Notices the passing of time and life
And the eyes in his head
His perception and insight
See the world spinning 'round
Take note of the constant change and activity of the world
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.