I've Never Been To Me

When I listened to an old compact disc of a veteran Taiwanese singer, Tracy Huang, there was a song in her English album which made me ponder over its meaning. The title of the song is "I've Never Been To Me" which was originally sung by American pop singer, Charlene in the late 70s.

This song is indeed so popular that it was sung by few Chinese singers like Tracy Huang, Teresa Teng and SHE. This is Teresa Teng version of the song (Karaoke) with lyrics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etDSMin00sA

After doing some research online, different people have different interpretations of its meaning.

Here is the lyrics (in blue color) and my interpretation of its meaning (in black color).

Hey lady, you lady, cursing at your life
You're a discontented mother and a regimental wife
I've no doubt you dream about the things you'll never do
But I wish someone had a talked to me like I wanna talk to you

The listener is whining about her life as an ordinary housewife and is dreaming about how things might turned out if she wasn't married. On the other hand, the singer who had lived a life opposite of the listener wished that someone had advised her to lead the life of an ordinary housewife so much that she wanted to advise the listener not to follow her footstep.

Ooh 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

The singer visited numerous exotic beautiful places and even engaged in sexual affairs with a preacher man in broad daylight. In order to be free, she traveled around so frequently that she could never made any friends. She had been to many wonderful places but have never thought about what she wanted in life.

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 a million lies

Without any friends and family, the singer is lonely and could sense that the listener still had much to envy about her. Being cheated by men many times, the singer asked the listener to share her sorrows.

Oh I've been to Nice and the isle of Greece
While I sipped champagne on a yacht
I 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

During those days, traveling to the Mediterranean region and sip champagne on a yacht was possible only to wealthy people and was definitely not something which an ordinary housewife can afford to do. The singer had lived in a lap of luxury by gambling and showed off her wealth in Monte Carlo, a gambling city in Europe. She had been served by "kings" (it probably referred to hunks who served rich women).

[Spoken]

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

The singer is telling the listener that there is no such thing as a paradise. A paradise is actually something which we imagined it to be. In reality, the listener's "paradise" is the baby she is carrying and the man she was married to.

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

I've been to paradise, never been to me

The fact that the singer cried for unborn children suggested that she may had abortions before. She felt that having children would made her life complete. She chose to lead an "easy sweet" life but never knew it made her life "bitter" towards the end. The singer spent her life working as a whore which was a heavy price to pay to achieve her luxurious lifestyle without any burden.

After reading the lyrics and my interpretation, it is time for you to ponder over your own interpretations of the lyrics.