1
Hey lady, you, lady, cursin' at your life
You're a discontented mother and a rich inventive 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
Ooh I've been to Georgia and California, oh, 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 a million lies
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 s'posed 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 cryin' 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
(I've been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to Nice and the isle of Greece
While I sipped champagne on a yacht)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to cryin' for unborn children)
You're a discontented mother and a rich inventive 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
Ooh I've been to Georgia and California, oh, 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 a million lies
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 s'posed 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 cryin' 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
(I've been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to Nice and the isle of Greece
While I sipped champagne on a yacht)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to cryin' for unborn children)
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i heard this song for the first time today ever on sirius4, and it really grabbed my attention immediately. i listened to it again about 10 times in a row.
the meaning to me is so blatantly obvious. she sees/overhears a woman complaining about how tough life is as a mother and wife and longs for so-called freedom of traveling the world and partying etc. she wants to tell the woman that she has lived the wild life but regrets never settling down with one man and having a family.
the first part clearly is directed at someone complaining about living the typical family life as wife and mother, and she is saying i wish someone talked to me and set me straight about not being a wild chick. and i wish i could talk to you and let you know how good you really have it.
the second part is about some of the places she's been and wild things she's done
the third part is wanting to tell this lady how alone she is now later in life from having lived the wild lifestyle.
the fourth part is more travel and wild times, being "that party girl on the yacht getting drunk" and "that star f'er having sex with famous men".
the fifth part, the spoken part, is what she wants to tell the lady that chasing the wild life in exotic places is not truly paradise, her child and her husband are where true happiness is found. we also learn that the lady got into an argument with her husband that morning.
the sixth part is about regretting not settling down and having children and instead choosing the party life, and realizing too late that living "the sweet life" made her "bitter" (a play on the word bittersweet). loose sex instead of monogomy has made her bitter and unhappy.
the moral of the story is that a woman who chooses to settle down and raise a family will be happier in the end than a woman who chooses the glamorous "carefree" wild lifestyle.