Chords + Lyrics | You Never Can Tell
Intro
| C B Bb | C G7 |
Verse 1
| C | C | C | C |
It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well.
| C | C | G | G |
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle.
| G | G | G | G |
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell.
| G | G | C | C |
“C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.
Verse 2
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.
Verse 3
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.
Verse 4
They bought a souped-up jitney, ’twas a cherry red ’53.
They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary.
It was there where Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle.
“C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.
Solo
| C | C | C | C |
| C | C | G | G |
| G | G | G | G |
| G | G | C | C |
Verse 5
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.
Outro
| C | C | C | C |
| C | C | G | G | to fade
You Never Can Tell Chords: Learn the progressions
Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell is a 16-bar blues built using only the I and V chords. Apart from the intro, the progression stays the same for all five verses and the solo.
Here’s the full chord progression in the key of C:
| C | C | C | C |
| C | C | G | G |
| G | G | G | G |
| G | G | C | C |
Over each chord, the piano creates its “honky-tonk” feel by playing the chord, adding the 6th, removing it, then adding it again. This is a signature Chuck Berry technique, used across many of his songs on guitar. In my courses, we explore this approach in depth when studying I Can’t Stand the Rain.
In You Never Can Tell, however, we don’t replicate this movement on guitar. Instead, we play short stabs using basic triads. In the course, we explore these shapes all over the fretboard, helping you learn your major triads across the entire neck—an invaluable lesson for beginner and intermediate players. Here’s the link: You Never Can Tell – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Below is a chord chart, mainly useful for tracking the structure: intro, four verses, solo, one verse, and the outro. The chords themselves are extremely easy to remember—the real question is: can you play them anywhere on the neck?
You Never Can Tell Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chart as a PDF or iReal Pro file if you want to change the key.
You Never Can Tell TAB | Course Preview
The main lesson in the course uses TAB to show you how to play C and G all over the neck. Being able to actually do this, while locking into a repetitive rhythm, are essential skills if you want to be a professional guitarist.
As a preview, here’s the exciting part: the intro.
Johnnie Johnson: The Unsung Architect of Chuck Berry’s Sound
Johnnie Johnson was the secret ingredient behind Chuck Berry’s biggest hits. A blues and boogie-woogie pianist with an effortless groove, he gave Berry’s songs their signature bounce, laying down the rhythmic foundation that made them irresistible. Yet while Chuck became the face of rock ’n’ roll, Johnnie spent most of his life in the background—until he finally decided to speak up.
In the early days, it was Johnnie who hired Chuck Berry to play in his trio, not the other way around. As Chuck’s songwriting and showmanship took centre stage, the band’s name changed and Johnnie gradually faded into the background. Still, his piano playing was all over Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen, No Particular Place to Go and, of course, Johnny B. Goode—a song many believe was written about Johnnie himself.
Despite being the backbone of Berry’s sound, Johnnie never received songwriting credits. Decades later, he filed a lawsuit claiming he had co-written many of Berry’s biggest hits, but the case was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. By that point, Johnnie had spent years out of the music business, working as a bus driver in St. Louis, his career derailed by struggles with alcohol.
It wasn’t until the late ’80s, when Keith Richards organised the Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll concert for Berry’s 60th birthday, that Johnnie made a proper comeback. He performed alongside some of the world’s biggest rock stars, finally receiving the recognition he had long deserved. From there, he recorded albums of his own, toured with artists such as Eric Clapton, and was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—though only as a sideman.
Johnnie Johnson’s story is one of extraordinary talent overshadowed by a larger-than-life personality. Whether he co-wrote those songs or not, his piano playing shaped them. Chuck Berry may have been the poet of rock ’n’ roll, but Johnnie was its pulse.
You Never Can Tell Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
