Cherbourg Boy record 1986

Cherbourg Boy, written by Robin O’Chin and performed by Lance O’Chin is released. It is one of the most requested songs at Radio Us Mob in Cherbourg.

… has also become a Cherbourg anthem performed at gatherings at Cherbourg and Brisbane. It is a slow country ballad sung by a male voice with guitar, drums and bass:

Here they go
I’ll let you go
May God bless you
You’ll be mine
Where ever you may roam
If you go
I’ll never say Aloha
‘Cause you’ll never find another
Cherbourg boy like me

Often accompanied by laughter and whistles from Aboriginal audiences, this song cheekily suggests that a woman will never find another Cherbourg boy like the singer. The inclusion of ‘Aloha’ links with the performance of Hula dancing for tourists in the early days of the settlement. The song is also performed at Aboriginal women’s leadership conferences and the lyrics are changed to ‘Cherbourg Girl’ highlighting that the song is an expression of a distinctive Cherbourg identity for both women and men. — Katelyn Barney, 2011