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.
With A Little Help From My Friends
Barbara Dickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
I get by with a little help from my friends
I get high with a little help from my friends
Gonna try with a little help from my friends
What do you do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be all alone
How does it feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you're on your own
Do you need anybody?
I want somebody to love
Could it be anybody?
I just want someone to love
Do you believe in a love at first sight?
Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time
What do you see when you turn off the light?
I can't tell you, but I know that it's mine
Do you need anybody?
I want somebody to love
Could it be anybody?
I just want someone to love
I get by with a little help from my friends
I get high with a little help from my friends
Gonna try with a little help from my friends
The lyrics to Barbara Dickson's song "With A Little Help From My Friends" speak of friendship, support and the need for companionship, and open with the plaintive question: "What would you think if I sang out of tune, Would you stand up and walk out on me?" This rhetorical question refers to the general sense of vulnerability that one experiences when taking risks in front of others, whether it is in the context of a musical performance, public speaking or any other situation where one is exposed to the evaluation of others. The singer then asks the audience to lend their ears to her, promising not to sing out of key. This gesture of trust illustrates the main theme of the song: the importance of social support networks.
In the chorus, the singer confesses to getting by and feeling high with a little help from her friends, and declares her intention to "try with a little help from (her) friends". This line is a nod to the Beatles' original version of the song, which was recorded by Ringo Starr and featured on the Sgt. Pepper's album. The singer goes on to address some common existential questions such as "What do you do when my love is away", "Does it worry you to be all alone" and "Do you need anybody?". The song concludes with another chorus, accentuating the importance of friendship and the mutual support that it provides.
Line by Line Meaning
What would you think if I sang out of tune
If I can't sing well, will you leave me?
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Will you abandon me if I don't perform well?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
Listen to me singing for a while
And I'll try not to sing out of key
I'll do my best to sing in tune
I get by with a little help from my friends
My friends support me when I'm struggling
I get high with a little help from my friends
My friends make me feel good
Gonna try with a little help from my friends
I'll attempt something new with my friends' support
What do you do when my love is away
What do you usually do when I'm not around?
Does it worry you to be all alone
Do you feel anxious when you're by yourself?
How does it feel by the end of the day
How do you feel after a long day?
Are you sad because you're on your own
Do you feel unhappy when you're alone?
Do you need anybody?
Do you require someone by your side?
I want somebody to love
I'm looking for a partner to love
Could it be anybody?
Is there anyone out there for me?
I just want someone to love
All I want is to be loved by someone
Do you believe in a love at first sight?
Do you think it's possible to fall in love instantly?
Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time
I do believe it happens very often
What do you see when you turn off the light?
What do you perceive in the darkness?
I can't tell you, but I know that it's mine
I can't put it into words, but it's personal to me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind