Talk:I've Never Been to Me

Information about Japanese adaptation of song
This information is tentative. Apparently, it's sung by Shiina Megumi 椎名恵 and is titled "LOVE IS ALL".


 * Japanese bulletin board where "LOVE IS ALL" is explained as cover of "I've never been to me", and is suggested for a wedding http://okweb.em-net.ne.jp/kotaeru.php3?q=1029942
 * English translation of above http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://okweb.em-net.ne.jp/kotaeru.php3%3Fq%3D1029942&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=4&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%25E6%25A4%258E%25E5%2590%258D%25E6%2581%25B5%2B%25E3%2582%25B7%25E3%2583%25A3%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%25AA%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2583%25B3%2B%2522LOVE%2BIS%2BALL%2522%2B%25E7%25B5%2590%25E5%25A9%259A%25E5%25BC%258F%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN
 * Origin of "LOVE IS ALL" http://www.cdjournal.com/main/research/research.php?rno=971

Success! Japanese lyrics found (partial):
 * http://sessai.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2006/02/post_25c2.html
 * Love is all
 * 女なら何よりも 愛を選ぶわ
 * たとえそれが苦しみでも かまわない
 * そうよ
 * 遠くても 大切なものが 見えるから
 * 生きていける
 * You know my love is true

I've never heard the Japanese version but trying to read aloud the above text leads me to believe the lyrics would correspond to the tune and English lyrics as follows (English lyrics with corresponding Japanese lyrics in parentheses). "Corresponding" here means "sung at the same time of and instead of the English lyrics".


 * been (love) to (is) Geor- (all) -gia and (onna nara)
 * Ca- -lifornia (nan yori mo) and
 * anywhere I could (ai wo erabu) run (wa)
 * I took the hand (tatoe)
 * of a prea- (sore ga) -cher man (kurushi)
 * and we (midemo) made love in the sun (kamawanai)
 * but I ran (sou yo)
 * out of places (hayakutemo)
 * and friendly faces because (taisetsu mono ga)
 * I had to be free (mieru kara)
 * I've been to paradise (ikite ikeru)
 * But I've never been to me (you know my love is true)

Maybe someone who has heard the Japanese version can comment on the accuracy of my supposed Japanese lyric positioning above.


 * Full Japanese lyrics http://chikazo.exblog.jp/3713321/


 * I was going to provide a link to the song at youtube, but I think that is frowned upon, however if you put "椎名恵　LOVE IS ALL" into the search box, it will lead you to the song quick enough.KTo288 (talk) 15:26, 8 May 2009 (UTC)

I trimmed this article quite a bit & was puzzled by the statement that there's two Japanese renderings of the song as there's only specifics stated about one: "LOVE IS ALL　～愛を聴かせて～" performed by Megumi Shiina. Apart from the fact that the lyrics of the other version are close to the English-language original there's no info about it - no title, no performer. I've left the reference to the other version extant but for it to remain some more info should be given.--Cherrylimerickey (talk) 22:27, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Spoken bridge?
The article currently states: ''In the spoken bridge, the use of the line "I've been to crying for unborn children" was not written about abortion. The line refers to a woman who is at a point in her life that she wished she had taken the time to have children. However, this was deemed too close to feminist issues and when Charlene's song was first released in 1976, the version used was the one without the spoken bridge.''

However, the line "I've been to crying for unborn children" is not part of the spoken bridge. It's the first sung line after the spoken bridge. So this statement should be corrected, but I don't know exactly how. (The record company would not have omitted the spoken bridge because of a line that appeared in another part of the song.) --Metropolitan90 22:33, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

Merger proposal
Proposal to merge the section The success of "I've Never Been to Me" from the article Charlene (singer) to this page because the subject in question (the album) is the same. I will probably do the merger myself if there are no objections over the next few days.- Samuel  Tan  07:45, 7 July 2008 (UTC)


 * Its been almost a year so I don't know if its been acted upon, but I would oppose a full merge, move repeated info but keep information pertinent to the influence of the song on Charlene's career in Charlene's article, basically the article about the song should focus on the song, and the article on the singer on the singer.KTo288 (talk) 15:20, 8 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Both articles are much shorter than a featured article, and neither are likely to get much longer, so I would be in favour of putting everything into one article. However, since only one other person responded I am removing the merge banners.  We can continue the debate here if you wish.  --Hroðulf (or Hrothulf) (Talk) 12:56, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

The only white artist who was signed by Motown Records
I heard that Charlene was the only white artist who has signed by Motown Records, is it true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by MrHuangHK (talk • contribs) 04:11, 29 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Off the top of my head I can think of Chris Clark and R. Dean Taylor as white artists signed to Motown. There are probably others. 80.254.147.52 (talk) 11:02, 25 August 2010 (UTC)
 * And S. F. Sorrow was on Motown. In Canada. Varlaam (talk) 22:23, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

We can't forget Teena Marie! Rare Earth was also a successful white Motown act - some other white acts like Kiki Dee and Lesley Gore were Motown also-rans.Cherrylimerickey (talk) 23:45, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

Robert Wyatt and Matching Mole
Musically, it is a direct rip-off of "O Caroline" by Robert Wyatt, which was recorded by Wyatt's band "Matching Mole" in 1971. If you ever get a chance, listen to it and you will find that the verses are musically virtually identical. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.72.13.14 (talk) 11:03, 23 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Just listened to it on YouTube, and you're right the resemblence is uncanny.KTo288 (talk) 11:17, 4 March 2010 (UTC)


 * But Matching Mole is a progressive group. Little Red Record. Varlaam (talk) 22:21, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

Yes, so? They could be a classical quartet, it wouldn't make any difference to this point LOL

whats the song information?
title: i've never been to me artist: charlene album: i've never been to me recorded: — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.54.44.171 (talk) 05:05, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

About WikiProject Songs
If i like this WikiProject Songs. This me help talk page on English Wikipedia. Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by John Wilfred Tating (talk • contribs) 17:13, 31 August 2014 (UTC)

B-Side
I am trying to post the B-Side song to this article, which is Somewhere in My Life. I am having a terrible time trying to post it as the song title is not showing up in the Infobox.

If anyone has the idea on how I can upload the B-Side to the Infobox, please share. I want to do this myself, but show me how it can be done so I can post the B-Side in the Infobox. Thanks very much for any help and advice on how to do it. Frschoonover (talk) 20:44, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

Sorry - I only saw your message after updating the infobox myself. This actually was an unusually complex infobox because of the track's release history. Generally speaking the B-side title is entered under the parameter for album. If you don't see |B-side = under |Album = you can simply type in all the characters in the missing parameter yourself (you can actually do that for any infobox parameter). If you want to add a B-side to a singles infobox that doesn't utilize the |Album = parameter - eg. it was a "single only" release - then type in the |B-side = parameter info under the |Artist = parameter. If you'd like to look over the Wikipedia page with the template for the infobox for singles, click here.--Cherrylimerickey (talk) 23:43, 21 July 2015 (UTC)

"Destined to die the very next day..."
Obviously, whoever wrote that line listened to the Howard Keel version. I'm not sure that's the right impression. I doubt the old man was literally expecting to die the very next day. Unless he was planning on suicide, it seems unlikely that he would be up and about, able to panhandle strangers and engage them in conversation. I took from it that the old man expected to die soon, but not necessarily tomorrow.

It should also be noted that The Temptations had a slightly difference set of lyrics when performing this song: "Won't you share a part of an old man's heart just the once before he dies?"

While Howard Keel sang, "Won't you share a part of an old man's heart on the day before he dies?" 65.33.138.115 (talk) 01:04, 31 January 2017 (UTC)