歌词
I've never been to me Charlene
(Ken Kirsch / Ronald Miller)
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
I've been to Georgia and California, anywhere I could run
Took the hand of a preachman 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 a million lies
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
(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
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
Charlene出生于50年代的好莱坞。在病弱中度过了童年时代。16岁辍学,17岁结婚却因吸毒被送进了戒毒所而后离婚。76年发行了这首曲子,但是很快她又销声匿迹了。在82年这首I have Never Been To Me被无意中发现并一发不可收拾,竟跃居全美排行第三位,也成为 Charlene 唯一的一首成名曲。仔细理解歌词你会发现这是在讲一个女人在悔恨自己因为追求自由而付出了太多的代价的感慨。它唱出了 Charlene自己的心声 。
这首《I’ve Never Been To Me》选自女歌手Charlene(1950.06.11生于好莱坞)的同名专辑。听过Charlene唱歌的人泰半都对她带磁性的嗓子印象深刻,特别是她在专辑同名曲中自述其历经结婚、生子的风雨波折后,对婚姻失了信心,但渴望真正找寻到内心的平静。当中的口白读来令人顿生怜悯与同情之意。这首作品最初于1977年由Motown公司发表,并未获得重视,直到1982年透过Florida的一位电台DJ播放后,方才大受欢迎,听众不断点播,至今依旧为许多人所喜爱。其实好听的歌曲只要一个旋律,哪怕只有一个“啊-------”字到底,这首歌曲特别在晚上一个人独处的时候,静静的欣赏,白听不厌。
《I've Never Been To me》这首歌早在1977即由美国女歌手夏琳(Charlene)灌唱,其后也曾经数次重录,或许是发行公司财力不够。宣传无门,问世没有多久就销声匿迹。终于本歌在1982年被一位电台DJ发掘,在自己的节目中密集的播放,从而老曲新红,一年后拿下全美排行榜第三和英国第一的好成绩。但是夏琳(Charlene)本人的星途却远非一帆风顺,另外唱了一些歌都反响平平,1980年代中期就彻底消失歌坛了。不过这首未曾有自我(I've Never Been to Me)却一直传唱至今,成了夏琳唯一的一首畅销曲
有人更欣赏无歌词的吟唱版,没有歌词对旋律的限制,人声已成为一种极富情感的乐器,优雅而感性,可以尽情地从歌者的吟唱里体味许多无言的感触,自由地沉醉在飘渺的音乐之中。