Charlene

Whilst I might pride myself on trying to have a tastefully painted kitchen and the odd designer piece casually sitting in a corner, when it comes to music there is no doubt that I have no taste what so ever. Trailer trash kitsch that’s me.

I am becoming rather nifty at picking up CDs at bargain prices. Much to G.’s disgust we now own a set of dubious CD titles – the kind you hide behind the Mahler symphony and Bach’s Water Music.

OK I confess. In recent days I’ve bought Meatloaf, Barry White and Tropical Summer. My all time favourite though has got to be “Endless Love”. I am so happy to have found this CD featuring some deliciously corny love songs. Its taken me quite a long time to source such a nugget. The songs include Lionel Richie Stuck on you; Maria McKee Show me heaven; Glenn Madeiros Nothings gone to change my love for you (do you remember that one! The guy in the Hawaiian shirt).

The one that I love above all others though – the extra special love gush mush song has got to be Charlene I’ve never been to me. The lyrics cheer me up no end. Childcare frustrations can include and in no particular order: sleepless nights, being holed up in a house with lots of bored children on a rainy day in October, never having a clean pair of corduroys, vomiting children, feverish children, having to find babysitters, not finding babysitters, sitting in on a warm Friday evening when a terrace looks inviting, being woken up at 6 am on a Saturday morning having had a chance to stay out until late, not having time to paint bedrooms, not having time to write….

But hey – who cares. Parenthood has its frustrations but if you think that’s bad you wait ‘till you hear what Charlene has to say about being free. At the end of her song you’ll be embracing children and shuddering at the thought of being in any other state. Charlene, you see,sings - and she repeats it several times so it must be true: “I’ve been to Paradise but I’ve never been to me”.

Charlene, for those of you not familiar with her, has been to Georgia and California. In fact she’s been any where she could roam. She’s taken the hand of a preacher man and made love in the sun. She’s been to Nice and the Isle of Greece (?). She’s sipped champagne on yachts, been undressed by Kings … and seen some things that a woman ain’t supposed to see. Yep – the lady’s been around and had her fair share of fun with all kinds of dubious men and in all sorts of glamorous settings. But that ain’t enough – oh no. Having fun in the sun and a sophisticated glorious set up is just not enough because as she goes on to say, in what has got to be the corniest voice possible:

Truth is the little baby you’re holding in your arms
It’s the man you fought with this morning
Its the man you’re going to make love to tonight
That’s what truth is.

Oh yes. I love Charlene for telling me this. Right on. Go girl. Its just what I want to hear. Who wants to sip champagne on yachts with Kings of ill repute. So, I may have to stay in all day with bored kids on a rainy day in October, rouse myself out of the comfort of a warm bed to feed the baby – but hey this is Paradise. Unlike Charlene I’m not bitter from the sweet. Go out and get the song – its really great. Really it is.