Merci, Chérie

"Merci, Chérie" ("Thank you, darling") was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966. Performed for Austria by Udo Jürgens with lyrics in German -- despite the French words of the title -- it is Austria's only winning song in the contest to date.

It is an earnest ballad in which the singer, as he leaves her, thanks his lover for good times and positive memories.

The song was performed ninth on the night, following Portugal's Madalena Iglésias with "Ele e ela" and preceding Sweden's Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson with "Nygammal vals". The final points tally for "Mercie, Chérie" was 31, securing it first place at the head of an 18-entry field.

The song was succeeded as contest winner in 1967 by Sandie Shaw singing "Puppet on a String" for the United Kingdom, and as Austrian entry in that year by "Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt", performed by Peter Horten.

The song was covered by the English singer Vince Hill. Baker Cavendish wrote the English lyrics. It was released on the single Columbia DB 6924. The song was arranged and conducted by Johnny Anthey. Hill reached #36 in the UK Singles Chart with it in June 1966.^[1]

Al Sundström has written the Swedish lyrics. The Swedish title is "Merci Cherie". Gunnar Wiklund with Nisse Hansén's orchestra recorded it in Stockholm in 1966. The song was released on the EP Sjunger Eurovisionsschlager 1966 (His Master's Voice 7-EGS 726). In 1967, Bent Fabric released an instrumental version of the song on his album Operation Lovebirds.

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