The song has long been relegated to the "Golden Oldies" category, but occasionally it can be heard on the airwaves. Long before one-name singers like Cher, Blondie, or Madonna made their mark in pop music, a little-known and even less-remembered singer named "Charlene" topped the charts. The song was addressed within the lyrics to the "frustrated mother" and "unappreciated wife" from the perspective of a woman who has been everywhere and "seen a thousand things a woman ain't s'posed to see." Yet for all her adventures and exciting travel she feels unfulfilled, even a bit envious of those with a man to fight with, and sleep with every night. She grieves for the children she will not bear and reflects, "I've been to Paradise, but I've never been to me."

The song was released amidst the turm…