C'est la vie
Harris Emmylou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the old folks wished them well
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 slow you never can tell
They furnished off an apartment
With a two room Roebuck sale
The coolerator was crammed
With T.V. Dinners and ginger ale
But when Pierre found work
The little money comin' worked out well
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
It goes to show you never can tell
They had a hi-fi phono
Boy did they let it blast
Seven hundred little records
All rockin' 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 Jimmy
T'was a cherry-red fifty three
Drove it down to Orleans
To celebrate their anniversary
It was there that Pierre
Was wedded to the lovely mademoiselle
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
It goes to show you never can tell
It was a teenage wedding
And the old folks wished them well
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
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
It goes to show you never can tell
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
It goes to show you never can tell
The song "C'est La Vie" by Harris Emmylou is a nostalgic tribute to young, passionate love that defies convention and old age. The song tells the story of a teenage wedding that the elder folks bless, yet the couple still faces hardship and uncertainties ahead. The first verse opens with a teenage couple who got married against societal norms, but they were truly in love. Despite the doubts and criticism from the elders, they went ahead and rang the chapel because they felt that the love between them was worth it. The chorus draws upon the phrase, 'C'est la vie,' meaning 'that's life' in French, to convey the idea that life is unpredictable and that one never knows where the road may take them.
The second verse describes how the newlyweds faced living within their means in a small apartment. They lived a typical living that was marked by Tv dinners, ginger ale and inexpensive, practical things. With time, when Pierre finds a job, they are finally able to give their home some comfort. However, the chorus' theme is repeated to reflect how life is full of ebbs and flows, and while one may strive to achieve stability, it is essential to be prepared for the unexpected.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a teenage wedding
The couple got married when they were teenagers.
And the old folks wished them well
The older generation was happy for them.
You could see that Pierre
It was obvious that Pierre
Did truly love the mademoiselle
Loved the young woman deeply.
And now the young monsieur and madame
The newlyweds
Have rung the chapel bell
Celebrated their union.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
The elders say, "That's life."
It goes to show you never can tell
Things can turn out unexpectedly.
They furnished off an apartment
They decorated and settled into a new home.
With a two room Roebuck sale
They got their furniture from the Roebuck catalog.
The coolerator was crammed
Their fridge was packed.
With T.V. Dinners and ginger ale
They stocked up on cheap food and drinks.
But when Pierre found work
When Pierre got a job
The little money comin' worked out well
Their finances improved.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
The elders say, "That's life."
It goes to show you never can tell
Things can change unexpectedly.
They had a hi-fi phono
They owned a high-quality record player.
Boy did they let it blast
They played music at a loud volume.
Seven hundred little records
They had a large collection of records.
All rockin' rhythm and jazz
Their music taste was lively and diverse.
But when the sun went down
When nightfall came
The rapid tempo of the music fell
They switched to slower tunes.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
The elders say, "That's life."
It goes to show you never can tell
The unexpected can happen.
They bought a souped-up Jimmy
They purchased a modified Chevy vehicle.
T'was a cherry-red fifty three
It was a beautiful, red car from the 1950s.
Drove it down to Orleans
They took the car for a ride to New Orleans.
To celebrate their anniversary
To mark their yearly celebration.
It was there that Pierre
It was at that location that Pierre
Was wedded to the lovely mademoiselle
Married his beautiful partner.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
The elders say, "That's life."
It goes to show you never can tell
Things can happen unexpectedly.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
The elders say, "That's life."
It goes to show you never can tell
Life can be unpredictable.
"C'est la vie", say the old folks
The elders say, "That's life."
It goes to show you never can tell
Life is full of surprises.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vdnneves2068
It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
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
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
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
@massimo5526
t was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
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
"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
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
It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
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
@phav1832
I'm one of those people who often say, "I don't really like country music" . . . until I hear about any song that Emmylou ever did . . .
@WysteriaGuitar
Emmylou - such a beautiful and talented woman!
@pismorichy
Most beautiful 77 year old human on earth..
@michaelterry1000
"There are two types of men. Men in love with Emmylou Harris and men who never met her" -Willie Nelson
@garyjanssen5388
I near fell off my chair,
@1234larry1
Man, you’re tellin’ me!
@danielsawyer355
michaelterry1000 and I sir am one of those men
@murraymarshall5865
michaelterry1000 I thought it was Linda Ronstadt he said that of, could be he said it of both.
@spratzattack
She kills me when she looks down at her mic, slightly cross-eyed.
@Patrick_B687-3
Albert Lee. One of the MOST unsung of all time. And God is she a beauty.