Chuck Berry remains an influential figure and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music who first began performing in 1953. Cub Koda wrote, "Of all the early breakthrough rock & roll artists, none is more important to the development of the music than Chuck Berry. He is its greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers." John Lennon was more succinct: "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."
Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 in a "class" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Plácido Domingo, Angela Lansbury, and Clint Eastwood. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Chuck Berry #5 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was also ranked 6th on Rolling Stone's Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of All Time.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included three of Chuck Berry's songs (Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene, Rock & Roll Music), of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.
Chuck Berry held a special place, in terms of sound development, in the formation of, Mersey-Beat at Liverpool.
The finest exponent of Chuck Berry, guitar, sound at Liverpool during 1959 to 1963, was Vincent Tow/Ismail, who in turn passed on many of the learned skills to Lennon & McCartney, his friends and colleagues during that period--1959 to 1962/3.
Chuck Berry also influenced many of the great rock 'n' roll bands that we know today including The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
You Never Can Tell
Chuck Berry Lyrics
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You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale
The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
But when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well
They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast
Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They bought a souped-up jitney, 'twas a cherry red '53
They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary
It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The song "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry tells the story of a teenage wedding and the couple's journey through life together. From the beginning, it's clear that the older generation is looking on approvingly as Pierre and his lady get married. As the couple settles into married life, they scrape together enough money to furnish an apartment with the help of a two-room Roebuck sale. The young couple's limited resources put constraints on their lifestyle, leading them to consume TV dinners and ginger ale from the packed coolerator. They worked hard to make ends meet, and when Pierre finally found work, things started to look up for them.
The couple's love of music becomes a consistent theme in the song, highlighted by the fact that they possess a hi-fi phonograph that they love to let blast. Their record collection is vast, consisting of seven hundred rhythm and jazz records that they listen to with pleasure. Despite their love of the music, the song implies that they eventually grow tired of the rapid tempo and find satisfaction in living life at a slower pace.
Finally, the song seems to be a reminder that life is unpredictable and can change at any moment. The couple's tendency to make their own luck and their optimism are acknowledged by the older generation as they observe the family driving away in their cherry-red 1953 souped-up jitney. All of the events in the song suggest that while life can be challenging and full of ups and downs, it is ultimately rewarding for those who work hard and maintain a positive attitude.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
A young couple got married and the older generation wished them happiness.
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
It was obvious that Pierre was deeply in love with his new wife.
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell
The newlyweds rang the chapel bell to signal the start of their life together.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The older generation comments that such is life, and anything can happen.
They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale
The couple bought furniture for their apartment during a sale at Roebuck.
The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
Their fridge was filled to the brim with TV dinners and ginger ale.
But when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well
When Pierre got a job, the little bit of money they had went a long way.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
Again, the older generation comments that life is unpredictable, and things can turn around.
They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast
The couple had a high-quality record player on which they played their music loudly.
Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz
Their record collection consisted of 700 records of rock, rhythm, and jazz music.
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
At night, they would play slower, more relaxed music that reflected the calmness of the evening.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
Once again, the older generation comments that life can be unpredictable, and things can change.
They bought a souped-up jitney, 'twas a cherry red '53
The couple purchased a refurbished car, which was a bright red 1953 model.
They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary
They took the car to New Orleans to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle
New Orleans is where Pierre married his lovely wife.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The older generation's final comment, driving home the fact that life can be full of surprises.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maga L. Oliveira
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