I think that none has so far realized that the song is actually about a DEAD COUPLE!!! This can be argued by the sharp contrast between the verbs in the simple past (was... wished... could... fournished... and so on) and the present of the lines
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.
So, the chapel bell is not ringing on their marriage (it would be "and THEN the young Monsieur and Madame RUNG the hapel bell" or the similar) but on their funeral!!! It is way the old folks NOW say "C'est la vie!", now when something bad is happened, because, do not forget!, the expression "C'est la vie" always expresses complaint about something bad but unvoidable.
Guys, that's Chuck Berry, that's Rock'n'Roll!! Irony and double sense are always there! A banal love song about a couple wiho has an happy life is out of place here!
Even more tragical here is that the youg couple dies on their anniversary, while driving back with a brand new car to the place where they got married, a year after... Call no man happy 'till he dies!
Exactly! I thought the same thing, which made me very sad, and I wanted to see if I was the only one who caught that. Another clue is that is says "Pierre loved MADEMOISELLE" calling the girl MADEMOISELLE at the wedding but "And now the young monsieur and MADAME have rung..." - meaning that they were already married when the bell rung, and it was a different event from the wedding. Very ironic and sad song about a happy young couple that started off a great life and died on their anniversary on the way to the place where they...
Exactly! I thought the same thing, which made me very sad, and I wanted to see if I was the only one who caught that. Another clue is that is says "Pierre loved MADEMOISELLE" calling the girl MADEMOISELLE at the wedding but "And now the young monsieur and MADAME have rung..." - meaning that they were already married when the bell rung, and it was a different event from the wedding. Very ironic and sad song about a happy young couple that started off a great life and died on their anniversary on the way to the place where they first met.
I'm so glad to hear this, Maxl! When I told my friends my explanation of the song, some thought I was a fool… I hope our interpretation will do justice to Chuck's genius!
I'm so glad to hear this, Maxl! When I told my friends my explanation of the song, some thought I was a fool… I hope our interpretation will do justice to Chuck's genius!
You don't have funerals at a chapel, dumass. Chapels are for weddings. A funeral is held at a funeral home or a church. There are so many holes inn that theory it does't even seem like its worth pointing out them all. Especially as they rung the chapel bell is in the first verse, not the las. Not to mention that the wedding is in the past, they have now been married for a year.
You don't have funerals at a chapel, dumass. Chapels are for weddings. A funeral is held at a funeral home or a church. There are so many holes inn that theory it does't even seem like its worth pointing out them all. Especially as they rung the chapel bell is in the first verse, not the las. Not to mention that the wedding is in the past, they have now been married for a year.
MANY holes?! "Funeral chapel" is a common expression, and in any case the song is all based on double entendres... even if you are right, dear Lollipop, what I said is exactly that the song in ambiguous and thus you can have a funeral in a chapel... As regards the second objection, I do not see the point... Hugs, my friend!
MANY holes?! "Funeral chapel" is a common expression, and in any case the song is all based on double entendres... even if you are right, dear Lollipop, what I said is exactly that the song in ambiguous and thus you can have a funeral in a chapel... As regards the second objection, I do not see the point... Hugs, my friend!
@paolobeatles I do not believe there is enough evidence for your interpretation, though it is an interesting one. Berry wrote this song shortly after being imprisoned for transporting a minor over state lines for immoral purposes. The song has more to do with being in love and being married while not doing things the way the previous generation (the old folks) would do them. Instead of being a dull married couple in a house with a sensible car and children, the couple live in an apartment, play Rock and Roll records, and drive a souped up car....
@paolobeatles I do not believe there is enough evidence for your interpretation, though it is an interesting one. Berry wrote this song shortly after being imprisoned for transporting a minor over state lines for immoral purposes. The song has more to do with being in love and being married while not doing things the way the previous generation (the old folks) would do them. Instead of being a dull married couple in a house with a sensible car and children, the couple live in an apartment, play Rock and Roll records, and drive a souped up car. Still, although they are eschewing the values of their parents and grandparents, a year later, they're still very much in love.
I think that none has so far realized that the song is actually about a DEAD COUPLE!!! This can be argued by the sharp contrast between the verbs in the simple past (was... wished... could... fournished... and so on) and the present of the lines
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.
So, the chapel bell is not ringing on their marriage (it would be "and THEN the young Monsieur and Madame RUNG the hapel bell" or the similar) but on their funeral!!! It is way the old folks NOW say "C'est la vie!", now when something bad is happened, because, do not forget!, the expression "C'est la vie" always expresses complaint about something bad but unvoidable.
Guys, that's Chuck Berry, that's Rock'n'Roll!! Irony and double sense are always there! A banal love song about a couple wiho has an happy life is out of place here!
Even more tragical here is that the youg couple dies on their anniversary, while driving back with a brand new car to the place where they got married, a year after... Call no man happy 'till he dies!
Exactly! I thought the same thing, which made me very sad, and I wanted to see if I was the only one who caught that. Another clue is that is says "Pierre loved MADEMOISELLE" calling the girl MADEMOISELLE at the wedding but "And now the young monsieur and MADAME have rung..." - meaning that they were already married when the bell rung, and it was a different event from the wedding. Very ironic and sad song about a happy young couple that started off a great life and died on their anniversary on the way to the place where they...
Exactly! I thought the same thing, which made me very sad, and I wanted to see if I was the only one who caught that. Another clue is that is says "Pierre loved MADEMOISELLE" calling the girl MADEMOISELLE at the wedding but "And now the young monsieur and MADAME have rung..." - meaning that they were already married when the bell rung, and it was a different event from the wedding. Very ironic and sad song about a happy young couple that started off a great life and died on their anniversary on the way to the place where they first met.
I'm so glad to hear this, Maxl! When I told my friends my explanation of the song, some thought I was a fool… I hope our interpretation will do justice to Chuck's genius!
I'm so glad to hear this, Maxl! When I told my friends my explanation of the song, some thought I was a fool… I hope our interpretation will do justice to Chuck's genius!
All the best, my friend!
All the best, my friend!
You don't have funerals at a chapel, dumass. Chapels are for weddings. A funeral is held at a funeral home or a church. There are so many holes inn that theory it does't even seem like its worth pointing out them all. Especially as they rung the chapel bell is in the first verse, not the las. Not to mention that the wedding is in the past, they have now been married for a year.
You don't have funerals at a chapel, dumass. Chapels are for weddings. A funeral is held at a funeral home or a church. There are so many holes inn that theory it does't even seem like its worth pointing out them all. Especially as they rung the chapel bell is in the first verse, not the las. Not to mention that the wedding is in the past, they have now been married for a year.
MANY holes?! "Funeral chapel" is a common expression, and in any case the song is all based on double entendres... even if you are right, dear Lollipop, what I said is exactly that the song in ambiguous and thus you can have a funeral in a chapel... As regards the second objection, I do not see the point... Hugs, my friend!
MANY holes?! "Funeral chapel" is a common expression, and in any case the song is all based on double entendres... even if you are right, dear Lollipop, what I said is exactly that the song in ambiguous and thus you can have a funeral in a chapel... As regards the second objection, I do not see the point... Hugs, my friend!
@paolobeatles I do not believe there is enough evidence for your interpretation, though it is an interesting one. Berry wrote this song shortly after being imprisoned for transporting a minor over state lines for immoral purposes. The song has more to do with being in love and being married while not doing things the way the previous generation (the old folks) would do them. Instead of being a dull married couple in a house with a sensible car and children, the couple live in an apartment, play Rock and Roll records, and drive a souped up car....
@paolobeatles I do not believe there is enough evidence for your interpretation, though it is an interesting one. Berry wrote this song shortly after being imprisoned for transporting a minor over state lines for immoral purposes. The song has more to do with being in love and being married while not doing things the way the previous generation (the old folks) would do them. Instead of being a dull married couple in a house with a sensible car and children, the couple live in an apartment, play Rock and Roll records, and drive a souped up car. Still, although they are eschewing the values of their parents and grandparents, a year later, they're still very much in love.