C'est la vie
Seger Bob; & The Silver Bullet Band Lyrics


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It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished 'em well
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madam have rung the chapel bell
C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They finished off an apartment with a two-room Roebuck sale
The coolerator was jammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
And 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 blues, rock, rhythm, and jazz
But when the sun went down, the volume went down as well
C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

They bought a souped-up jitney, it was a cherry red '53
And drove it down to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
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 had a teenage wedding and the old folks wished 'em well
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle




And now the young monsieur and madam have rung the chapel bell
C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell

Overall Meaning

The song "C'est La Vie" by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band tells the story of a teenage couple, Pierre and his beloved Mademoiselle, who get married amidst the blessings of the old folks. The couple's simplicity and love are highlighted in the lyrics as they start their life together in a small apartment furnished with items from a Roebuck sale. Pierre finds work, and though the money isn't much, it is enough for them to manage. They celebrate their anniversary by taking their cherry-red 53 jitney to New Orleans, the site of their wedding, and once again their love is celebrated by the old folks.


The expression "C'est La Vie" is used throughout the song as a reminder that life is unpredictable, and we never know what lies ahead. The phrase, borrowed from the French, translates to "that's life," teaching us to accept the ups and downs of life.


Line by Line Meaning

It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished 'em well
A young couple got married and the older generation gave their blessings.


You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
It was clear that Pierre had genuine affection for his wife.


And now the young monsieur and madam have rung the chapel bell
The newlyweds have announced their marriage by ringing the church bell.


C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
The older generation remarks that such is life and anything can happen.


They finished off an apartment with a two-room Roebuck sale
They furnished their apartment using items bought on a discount from Roebuck.


The coolerator was jammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
Their refrigerator was filled with cheap, pre-made meals and drinks.


And when Pierre found work, the little money comin' worked out well
Pierre's income was small but sufficient for their needs.


They had a hi-fi phono, boy did they let it blast
They owned a high-quality music player and enjoyed playing it loudly.


Seven hundred little records, all blues, rock, rhythm, and jazz
They owned an extensive collection of records of different musical genres.


But when the sun went down, the volume went down as well
They turned down the volume of their music when it got late at night.


They bought a souped-up jitney, it was a cherry red '53
They purchased an old car and made it fast and flashy.


And drove it down to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
They went to New Orleans to mark their wedding anniversary.




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Written by: Chuck Berry

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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