New Riders of the Purple Sage was an American country rock band. The group … Read Full Bio ↴New Riders of the Purple Sage was an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969. The band's mainstays were David Nelson, John Dawson, and Jerry Garcia, and many future members of Grateful Dead rotated through.

You Never Can Tell
New Riders Of The Purple Sage Lyrics

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It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished 'em well
And you could see that Pierre did truly love the Mademoiselle
And 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 filled 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 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 in '53
They drove it down to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
And it was there where Pierre was wedded to the lovely Mademoiselle
'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 in '53
They drove it down to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
And it was there where 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 'em well
And 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
'C'est la vie' - say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.

Overall Meaning

The song "You Never Can Tell" by New Riders of the Purple Sage tells the story of a teenage wedding through the eyes of the old folks. The song starts by describing the wedding and the love between the young couple, Pierre and the Mademoiselle. The newlyweds furnished their apartment with the sale items from Roebuck, including a coolerator filled with TV dinners and ginger ale. The young couple struggled financially until Pierre found work, and as a result, they now have a little money coming in. The couple enjoyed listening to their hi-fi phono that played rock, rhythm, and jazz music. However, when the sun went down, so did the rapid tempo of their music.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "C'est la vie," which means "That's life." The old folks say this phrase to show that life is unpredictable, and you never know what's going to happen. Pierre and the Mademoiselle then take their souped-up jitney down to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus and the old folks' wise adage.

The lyrics of "You Never Can Tell" by New Riders of the Purple Sage capture the essence of life's unpredictability, where anything can happen at any time. The song's upbeat rhythm and melody make it a classic rock tune that is still loved by many today.

Line by Line Meaning

It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished 'em well
There was a wedding between two teenagers and the elderly attendees were happy for them.

And you could see that Pierre did truly love the Mademoiselle
It was apparent that Pierre had genuine affection for the Mademoiselle.

And the young Monsieur and Madame have rung the chapel bell
The newlyweds rang the bell in the chapel.

'C'est la vie' - say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.
The older generation say that such is life, and this experience demonstrates that you never know what to expect.

They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale
Pierre and the Mademoiselle used a discount from Roebuck to furnish their two-room apartment.

The coolerator was filled with T.V. dinners and ginger ale
They stocked the refrigerator with TV dinners and ginger ale.

But when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well
When Pierre got a job, the small income was enough to sustain them.

They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast ?
They had a high-quality record player and played their music loudly.

Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm, and jazz
They had a collection of 700 records in the rock, rhythm, and jazz genres.

But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
As evening approached, they lowered the volume of the music and played slower songs.

They bought a souped-up jitney, 'twas a cherry '53
They purchased a customized vehicle, a 1953 Chevy in excellent condition.

They drove it down to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
They drove the car to New Orleans to commemorate their anniversary.

And it was there where Pierre was wedded to the lovely Mademoiselle
New Orleans is where Pierre and the Mademoiselle got married.

'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 full of surprises.

'C'est la vie' - say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The phrase 'c'est la vie' is repeated, reinforcing the idea that life is unpredictable and full of surprises.

'C'est la vie' - say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.
Once again, the older generation comments that life is unpredictable and full of surprises.

Contributed by Eli B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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