I've Never Been to Me

(Click the title to listen to the song)

Hey lady, you lady
Cursing at your life
You're a discontented mother
And a regimented wife
I've no doubt you dream about
The things you'll never do
But, I wish someone had talked to me
Like I wanna talk to you

Whoooa, I've been to Georgia
And California and anywhere I could run
Took the hand of a preacher man
And we made love in the sun
But I ran out of places
And friendly faces
Because I had to be free
I've been to paradise
But I've never been to me

Please lady, please, lady
Don't just walk away
'Cause I have this need to tell you
Why I'm all alone today
I can see so much of me
Still living in your eyes
Won't you share a part
Of a weary heart
that has lived million lies

Whoooa, I've been to Nice
And the Isle of Greece
While I've sipped champagne on a yacht
I've moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo
And showed 'em what I've got
I've been undressed by kings
And I've seen some things
That a woman ain't supposed to see
I've been to paradise
But I've never been to me

Hey, you know what paradise is
It's a lie
A fantasy we create about people
And places as we'd like them to be
But you know what truth is
It's that little baby you're holding
And it's that man you fought with this morning
The same one you're going to make love with tonight
That's truth, that's love

Sometimes I've been to crying
For unborn children
That might have made me complete
But I, I took the sweet life
I never knew
I'd be bitter from the sweet
I've spent my life exploring
The subtle whoring
That costs too much to be free
Hey lady, I've been to paradise
But I've never been to meeeeeee

I've been to paradise
(Never been to me)..

I love this song. Really nice. It's obviously about self discovery; how that sometimes, however far we travel, learn, and experience life, we still find it hard to understand who we really are. Sometimes, we would rather ask and hear it from other people, our elders, just to quiet that nagging feeling that we're missing something.

"I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me."

The busy life of trying to live it out, makes us forget who we are. Really nice and sweet, sweet song.

I understand that this song is old. I just discovered it sometime ago with friends, who love oldies.

Unfortunately, I have yet to hear the best rendition of this song. Charlene Duncan, the original singer, doesn't really do justice to it. I have yet to hear someone sing this eloquently, sweetly, and melodiously!