It was a song that made people smile. A rollicking, upbeat duet that lit up dive bars and jukeboxes across Texas and Tennessee. “You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie)” — the Chuck Berry classic — was reborn in the early ‘80s as a lively country-rock anthem by Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, the outlaw royalty of American music.

But now, over four decades later, Shooter Jennings — their son and acclaimed musician in his own right — has shattered the myth.

“Everyone thought that duet was pure joy,” Shooter told The Nashville Times in an exclusive, emotional interview. “But the truth is… it was their way of coping with a loss they never talked about.”

What followed was a revelation that stunned even the most die-hard fans.

🎙️ A Secret Hidden in Plain Sight

In 1983, Waylon and Jessi recorded “You Never Can Tell” in a late-night session at RCA Studio B in Nashville. It was never released as a major single, but it found cult status among outlaw country fans — a bouncy, flirty duet that seemed to celebrate love’s unpredictability.

“It sounds like a party,” Shooter said. “But if you listen closer, there’s something trembling underneath.”

According to Shooter, the song was recorded just six days after Jessi Colter suffered a miscarriage — a painful and private loss that had never been publicly acknowledged until now.

“They were devastated,” Shooter said, his voice cracking. “But they refused to drown in grief. So they picked a song that said, ‘Life is strange, and full of turns — but we keep dancing.’”

🎹 The Studio Session That Almost Didn’t Happen

That night, Jessi reportedly didn’t want to sing. Friends close to the family recall her sitting silently in the control room for over an hour, staring at the mixing board while Waylon paced the studio floor.

It was Waylon who insisted they record “You Never Can Tell” — a song he had loved since his early days in Lubbock, playing Berry’s hits in roadside bars.

“He told her, ‘We need joy, Jess. Not for the world. For us,’” Shooter recalled. “And somehow, she got up. She walked to the mic. And she gave us something magical.”

Studio engineer Rick Mendez, who was there that night, confirmed the strange energy in the room:

“They laughed between takes, but it was a nervous kind of laughter. Jessi had tears in her eyes more than once. But when she sang that line — ‘C’est la vie, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell’ — man, you believed her.”

💔 “A Celebration and a Goodbye”

What fans didn’t know was that the song became more than just a cover. It became a ritual.

Shooter revealed that for years after, his parents would sing it together at home — often on anniversaries or in the quiet after a family loss.

“It was their reminder that life’s full of chaos and curveballs. But love survives. Love laughs, even when it’s hurting.”

He paused.

“I think in their hearts, that recording was a goodbye to the child they lost — and a hello to the life that kept moving.”

🎶 A Legacy Rekindled

Since Shooter’s revelation, fans have flooded social media with tributes and emotional reactions. Many say they’ve gone back and listened to the track — and suddenly, the lighthearted duet now feels like a defiant stand against heartbreak.

The family has now decided to officially release a remastered version of the recording, paired with unseen studio footage and handwritten lyrics Jessi scribbled on a napkin that same night.

“It’s time people knew the full story,” Shooter said. “This wasn’t just a cover. It was their truth, dressed up in twang and laughter.”

🌠 The Power of Outlaw Resilience

Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter were never ordinary artists. They forged their careers by bending the rules, defying the industry, and wearing their pain like denim — rough, real, and lived in.

Now, thanks to their son’s courageous honesty, fans are discovering a new side to them: not just outlaws, but survivors. Two broken hearts who chose music over mourning. Who chose to dance through the pain.

“They taught me,” Shooter said quietly, “that joy isn’t the absence of sadness — it’s what you build on top of it.”

And somehow, in that timeless refrain — “C’est la vie, it goes to show you never can tell” — we hear not just a catchy line, but a quiet vow.

To keep singing. To keep loving. And to never forget.

EPILOGUE:

As of this week, the newly remastered duet has

climbed back into the top charts of vintage country radio. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone is preparing a tribute feature, and fans are petitioning to have the recording inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Archives as a symbol of love, loss, and the hidden stories behind the songs we thought we understood.

Indeed, as Waylon and Jessi reminded us — you never can tell.