CHUCK BERRY - YOU CAN NEVER TELL

YOU CAN NEVER TELL

(C’EST LA VIE)

CHUCK BERRY

SONGWRITER: CHUCK BERRY

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: DEFINITIVE YOU NEVER CAN TELL

LABEL: CHESS RECORDS

GENRE: ROCK AND ROLL

YEAR: 1964

"You Never Can Tell", also known as "C'est La Vie" or "Teenage Wedding", is a song written by Chuck Berry. It was composed in the early 1960s while Berry was in federal prison for allegedly violating the Mann Act. Released in 1964 on the album St. Louis to Liverpool and the follow up single to Berry's final Top Ten hit of the 1960s: "No Particular Place to Go", "You Never Can Tell" reached #14 becoming Berry's final Top 40 hit until "My Ding-a-Ling" in 1971. A 1978 Top Ten C&W hit for Emmylou Harris, the song has also been recorded or performed by Chely Wright, John Prine, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Jerry Garcia Band, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Seger.

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 was a cherry red '53

And drove it down 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 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