Merci, Chérie

Merci, Chérie
Eurovision Song Contest 1966 entry
Country	Austria
Artist(s)	Udo Jürgens
Language	German
Composer(s)	Udo Jürgens
Lyricist(s)	Udo Jürgens, Thomas Hörbiger
Conductor	Hans Hammerschmid
Finals performance
Final result	1st
Final points	31
Appearance chronology
◄ Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen (1965)
Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt (1967) ►

"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, who 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 1965. 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.

References

1. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 253. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

Preceded by Poupée de cire, poupée de son by France Gall

Eurovision Song Contest winners 1966

Succeeded by Puppet on a String by Sandie Shaw