You Never Can Tell (song)
Encyclopedia
"You Never Can Tell" also occasionally referred to as "C'est La Vie" is a rock and roll
song
by Chuck Berry
. It was composed while he was in prison for intent to commit a sex crime. The song was originally released in 1964 on the album St. Louis to Liverpool
, and has also been recorded or performed by Chely Wright
, John Prine
, New Riders of the Purple Sage
, the Jerry Garcia Band
, Bruce Springsteen
and Emmylou Harris
.
al wedding
between a young couple and the events afterwards. Living in a modest apartment, the jobless young man finds work and, together with his spouse, they find prosperity. They use the money to expand their music collection and eventually purchase a family car
to drive to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary, where they had originally met. The chorus
of the song is "'C'est la vie', say the old folks, 'it goes to show you never can tell'".
Berry is renowned for his clever lyrics & original melodies, but "You Never Can Tell" has echoes of "Caribbean", released 10 years earlier by Mitchell Torok.
film Pulp Fiction
. The music was played for a contest at the fictional restaurant Jack Rabbit Slim's in which John Travolta
as Vincent Vega and Uma Thurman
as Mia Wallace danced for the contest's main prize. The music added an evocative element of sound to the narrative and Tarantino said that the song's lyrics of "Pierre" and "Mademoiselle" gave the scene a "uniquely 50's French New Wave dance sequence feel".
has indicated this song was a source of inspiration for his song "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock'n'Roll)
", which has been recorded by Dave Edmunds, Status Quo and Lowe himself.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
. It was composed while he was in prison for intent to commit a sex crime. The song was originally released in 1964 on the album St. Louis to Liverpool
St. Louis to Liverpool
St. Louis to Liverpool is a rock and roll album by Chuck Berry, released in 1964 on Chess Records, catalogue 1488. It peaked at #124 on the Billboard album chart.-Content:...
, and has also been recorded or performed by Chely Wright
Chely Wright
Richell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive"...
, John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
, the Jerry Garcia Band
Jerry Garcia Band
The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side-projects until his death in 1995...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
.
Description
The song describes a fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
between a young couple and the events afterwards. Living in a modest apartment, the jobless young man finds work and, together with his spouse, they find prosperity. They use the money to expand their music collection and eventually purchase a family car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
to drive to New Orleans to celebrate their anniversary, where they had originally met. The chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
of the song is "'C'est la vie', say the old folks, 'it goes to show you never can tell'".
Berry is renowned for his clever lyrics & original melodies, but "You Never Can Tell" has echoes of "Caribbean", released 10 years earlier by Mitchell Torok.
Pulp Fiction
The song became briefly popular again for a time in 1994 after the release of the Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
film Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
. The music was played for a contest at the fictional restaurant Jack Rabbit Slim's in which John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
as Vincent Vega and Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
as Mia Wallace danced for the contest's main prize. The music added an evocative element of sound to the narrative and Tarantino said that the song's lyrics of "Pierre" and "Mademoiselle" gave the scene a "uniquely 50's French New Wave dance sequence feel".
Impact
Nick LoweNick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
has indicated this song was a source of inspiration for his song "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock'n'Roll)
I Knew the Bride
"I Knew the Bride " is a song written by Nick Lowe and first popularized by Dave Edmunds. It was released on Edmunds's 1977 album Get It and a year later in a live version by Nick Lowe's Last Chicken in the Shop for a compilation released by Stiff Records.Lowe performed the song during a Stiff...
", which has been recorded by Dave Edmunds, Status Quo and Lowe himself.
Cover versions
- 1974 Ronnie LaneRonnie LaneRonald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
, on Ronnie Lane's Slim ChanceRonnie Lane's Slim ChanceRonnie Lane's Slim Chance was the second album done by Ronnie Lane, one of the founders of Small Faces and Faces, after he left the Faces to live on a farm in Shropshire. In homage to his perceived chances of commercial success, he named his band Slim Chance. Most songs on this album were written... - 1975 John PrineJohn PrineJohn Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, on Common SenseCommon Sense (John Prine album)Common Sense is the fourth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1975.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "Unfortunately, the cloying production overpowers the lyrics and relegates them to an almost cursory notion, and it doesn't help... - 1975 Loggins and MessinaLoggins and MessinaLoggins and Messina are an American rock-pop duo consisting of Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina who achieved their success in the early to mid 1970s...
, on So Fine - 1976 New Riders of the Purple SageNew Riders of the Purple SageNew Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
, on New RidersNew Riders (album)New Riders is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Their seventh studio album and their ninth album overall, it was recorded and released in 1976.... - 1977 Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, on Luxury LinerLuxury Liner (album)Luxury Liner was the second successive #1 country album for Emmylou Harris on the Billboard Music Charts, although, unlike the preceding Elite Hotel, there were no #1 hits from this album...
(as "(You Never Can Tell) C'est la Vie") - 1981 Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
and Jessi ColterJessi ColterJessi Colter is an American country music artist who is best known for her collaboration with her husband, country singer and songwriter Waylon Jennings and for her 1975 country-pop crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa"....
, on Leather and LaceLeather and LaceLeather and Lace is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, released on RCA Victor in 1981. It was the famous couple's first album together, though they had sung individual duets together prior to the release of Leather and Lace. "You Never Can Tell " is a well-known Chuck Berry song... - 1984 Ian A. AndersonIan A. AndersonIan A. Anderson is an English magazine editor, folk musician and broadcaster.-Country blues and The Village Thing:...
and Mike Cooper, on The Continuous Preaching Blues - 1985 Bill WymanBill WymanBill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
's "Willie and the Poor Boys" featuring Charlie Watts, Andy Fairweather-Lowe, Mickey Gee, Geraint Watkins - 1993 Aaron NevilleAaron NevilleAaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
, on The Grand Tour - 1994 Bob SegerBob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
, on Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Bob Seger album)Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, released in 1994 . Certified 8 times platinum, it is Seger's most successful album to date...
(as "C'est La Vie") - 1996 Status Quo, on Don't StopDon't Stop (Status Quo album)Don't Stop is the twenty-second studio album by English rock band Status Quo. The album of cover versions includes guest appearances from Tessa Niles on tracks 6 and 14, The Beach Boys on track 1, Brian May of Queen fame on track 7 and Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span fame on track 15.Fun, Fun, Fun,...
- 2005 Chely WrightChely WrightRichell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive"...
, on The Metropolitan HotelThe Metropolitan HotelThe Metropolitan Hotel is the sixth studio album released by American country music artist Chely Wright. It was her first album for the Dualtone label, after a failed deal with the Vivaton! label. This album produced four singles, of which two were Top 40 hits on the country music charts: the...
(as "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)") - 2005 Texas LightningTexas LightningTexas Lightning is a German quintet from Hamburg which fits in the country music genre and describes itself as old fashioned and hip. Their music is a mix of country and pop drawing from country classic stars like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash and Tammy Wynette and pop stars such as ABBA,...
, on Meanwhile, Back at the RanchMeanwhile, Back at The RanchMeanwhile, back at the ranch ... is a phrase frequently used by narrators of American cowboy movies and TV shows as a segue from one scene to another. It originated as a stock subtitle in the silent movies of the early 1900s, but came into such common use that it took on a life of its own and is...
(as "C'est La Vie") - 2008 Roch VoisineRoch VoisineJoseph Armand Roch Voisine, OC better known as Roch Voisine, is a Canadian Acadian singer-songwriter, actor, and radio and television host...
, on AmericanaAmericana (Roch Voisine album)Americana is a 2008 album by Canadian singer Roch Voisine. Many of the tracks were recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.He followed that in 2009 with the album Americana II.-Track listing:Bonus bilingual English / French version tracks marked with [*]... - 2010 The MorlocksThe MorlocksThe Morlocks is an American garage rock band from San Diego, California, which formed in 1984. In its first incarnation, the band consisted of guitarist Tommy Clarke, bassist Jeff Lucas , drummer Mark Mullen, as well as vocalist Leighton Koizumi and guitarist Ted Friedman, former members of the...
, on Play Chess