If you watched the cult film Pulp Fiction, then you probably remember Vincent and Mia dancing to the song You Never Can Tell (“Wait and see”) by Chuck Berry. We will return to the famous scene from Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece later, but first we recall how the song, sometimes called Teenage Wedding (“Teenage Wedding”) and C’est la Vie (“Se la vie”), was written.
The history of the creation of the song You Never Can Tell
Chuck Berry wrote it in the early sixties while he was in prison. He was imprisoned for “transporting an underage woman across the border for immoral purposes.” He brought a fourteen-year-old girl from Mexico, whom he arranged to work as a cloakroom attendant at his club. She was later found to be a prostitute, and Berry was found guilty of violating the Mann Act of 1910.
However, this confusing story has nothing to do with the song. Chuck was behind bars for a year and a half, somehow managing to release new records during this time. You Never Can Tell became one of his first hits released after his release. Berry is said to have been inspired by Mitchell Torok’s Caribbean song.
You Never Can Tell was released as a single from the album St. Louis to Liverpoll (1964), which was released on Chess Records. It peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard charts.
The meaning of the song You Never Can Tell
The words tell about a couple of young newlyweds who, after the wedding, remain mischievous and perky. They eat cheap food, listen to music endlessly, have sex, and spare no expense in entertainment. And their parents can only sigh and hope that the children will someday grow up and gain intelligence.
Cover versions of You Never Can Tell
The composition was recorded by many famous musicians, including Bob Seeger, Ronnie Lane, Bill Wyman and Status Quo.
In the late seventies, the cover version of You Never Can Tell by singer Emmylou Harris was very popular. Check out the music video of her performance.
You Never Can Tell in Pulp Fiction
The public again drew attention to the composition in 1994, when the song sounded on the soundtrack of the film Pulp Fiction (“Pulp Fiction”) by Quentin Tarantino. The dance, which was performed by the heroes of John Travolta and Uma Thurman, fell in love with the audience and for many years became an indispensable element of corporate parties, weddings and all kinds of shows. Let’s remember the scene that has forever entered the history of world cinema.
Interesting Facts
- Bernard Shaw has a play called You Never Can Tell about children who grow up without a father and accidentally invite him to a family dinner.
- For several years, the song sounded in the releases of the TV show “Unlucky Notes”.
Chuck Berry You Never Can Tell Lyrics
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
You Never Can Tell lyrics by Chuck Berry
It was the wedding of a young couple, and the “old men” wished her well
It was evident that Pierre sincerely loved Mademoiselle
And so the young monsieur and madame struck the church bell
“Se la vie,” the “old people” say, they say, wait and see
At the Roebuck sale bought furniture for a two-room apartment
Filled the fridge with ginger beer and convenience foods
And when Pierre found a job, they got some money
“Se la vie,” the “old people” say, they say, wait and see
They turned on the hi-fi gramophone and turned on the heat
They had seven hundred records: all rock, rhythm and jazz
But as the sun went down, the tempo of the music slowed down
“Se la vie,” the “old people” say, they say, wait and see
They bought a big red ’53 car
And drove it to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary
It was there that Pierre married the lovely Mademoiselle
“Se la vie,” the “old people” say, they say, wait and see
Song quote
It was amazing to play C’est la Vie and maybe I took it on for nostalgic reasons, but after a while it lost its appeal to me. I guess I felt like I didn’t bring anything new to it.
Emmylou Harris, New York Times, 2013
