You Never Can Tell
Original Sound Track Lyrics


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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

Overall Meaning

The song "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry tells the story of a young couple, Pierre and mademoiselle, who have just gotten married. The lyrics describe the old folks who wished them well despite their young age. It was evident that Pierre truly loved mademoiselle, and they both rang the chapel bell. The phrase "C'est la vie" is used throughout the song, offering the idea that life is unpredictable, and one never knows what the future holds.


The couple furnished their apartment from a two-room Roebuck sale, and although they had a "coolerator" full of TV dinners and ginger ale, they made the best of what they had. Despite their modest living conditions, Pierre found work which enabled them to make ends meet. The song mentions that they had a hi-fi phono, and with their record collection of 700 rock, rhythm, and jazz records, the music was their way of enjoying life.


As the sun went down, the music tempo decreased, and the rapidity of youth gave way to the wisdom of old age. The couple then bought a cherry red '53 car and drove down to Orleans to celebrate their anniversary. The song ends with the happy couple being married in New Orleans, and the old folks stating that life is unpredictable and one never knows what the future holds.


Line by Line Meaning

It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
The young couple got married and the older generation gave them their blessings.


You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
It was apparent that Pierre was in love with the girl.


And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell
The newlywed has signaled the end of the wedding ceremony by ringing the bell.


"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The phrase 'That's life' is used by the older generation to emphasize that some things in life cannot be predicted.


They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale
The couple decorated their flat with furniture purchased from a discounted store.


The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale,
Their refrigerator was stocked with frozen dinners and fizzy drinks.


But when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well
When Pierre secured a job, their finances improved slightly.


"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The phrase 'That's life' is reiterated by the elder generation to emphasize the unpredictability of life.


They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast
The couple owned a high-fidelity phonograph that they enjoyed playing loudly.


Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz
They owned a collection of 700 records that consisted of rock, rhythm, and jazz genres.


But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
As nighttime approached, their music choices changed to a slower pace.


"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The phrase 'That's life' is repeated again to highlight the uncertainties of life.


They bought a souped-up jitney, 'twas a cherry red '53,
They purchased a customized vehicle that was a shiny red color and from 1953.


They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary,
The couple traveled with their car to New Orleans to mark their milestone event.


It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle
It was in New Orleans where Pierre exchanged vows with the beautiful girl.


"C'est la vie", say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The phrase 'That's life' is one more time used to suggest the unpredictable nature of life.




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHUCK BERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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