Jessie Taylor
Candle in the Wind is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. The song was originally written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. In 1997, John performed a rewritten version of the song as a tribute to Princess Diana, who had passed away in a car accident. The song's lyrics convey a powerful message of hope and redemption and have become one of Taupin and John's most famous collaborations.
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What You'll Learn
Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics
While Elton John composed the music for "Candle in the Wind", the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin. Taupin has revealed that the song's title was inspired by Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's play of the same name.
The song was originally written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. Taupin has stated that the song was not necessarily inspired by Monroe herself, but rather by the idea of fame and youth being cut short. He has also said that the song could have been about other celebrities who died young, such as James Dean, Jim Morrison, or Kurt Cobain.
In 1997, Taupin rewrote the lyrics to "Candle in the Wind" as a tribute to Princess Diana, who had died in a car accident that year. The new version of the song, known as "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose", became the best-selling single in UK chart history and won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1998.
Taupin has said that he spent very little time on the rewritten version of the song and that he does not remember the lyrics. Despite this, the song took on a new life of its own and touched the hearts of millions worldwide.
The lyrics of "Candle in the Wind" convey a powerful message of hope and redemption, and the song remains one of Taupin and John's most famous collaborations.
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The song was inspired by Marilyn Monroe
"Candle in the Wind", a threnody-style ballad, was written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. The song's opening line, "Goodbye, Norma Jean", refers to Monroe's birth name, Norma Jeane Mortenson, and how she gave up her name and privacy for celebrity.
The song's lyrics are a sympathetic portrayal of Monroe's life. Taupin has stated that the song is more of a take on fame and celebrity than an ode to Marilyn Monroe. He has also disputed the idea that he was a Monroe fan, saying that she was just a metaphor for fame and dying young. Taupin has also said that the song could have been about any writer, actor, actress, or musician who died young and became an iconic figure.
In 1997, John performed a rewritten version of the song, "Candle in the Wind 1997", as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died in an auto crash that year. This version peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and several other countries, becoming John's fourth No. 1 single.
The original version of "Candle in the Wind", released in 1974, reached No. 11 in the UK charts. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine listed the original version of the song at No. 347 of its 500 greatest songs of all time.
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Taupin rewrote the song for Princess Diana's funeral
"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody-style ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. The song's opening line, "Goodbye, Norma Jean", refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (or Jean) Mortenson.
In 1997, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Taupin rewrote the song's lyrics as a tribute to her. Taupin has emphasised that the song's universal themes of vulnerability and the fleeting nature of fame allowed it to resonate deeply with audiences, regardless of the specific individual it was written for. The rewritten version, titled "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose", was recorded and performed by John at Princess Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997.
Taupin has stated that he rewrote the lyrics in about half an hour and has only heard the song a couple of times since. In an interview, he reflected on the tribute to Princess Diana and how little of the song he remembers:
> It's interesting because I very much did that remake in about, literally in about five or 10 minutes. It took no time at all. And if you asked me to this day to recite the lyrics, I wouldn't be able to remember a word of it.
The 1997 version won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998. It became the best-selling single in UK chart history, selling 658,000 copies on its first day of release and over 1.5 million in its first week. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks and became the best-selling single in Billboard history.
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Elton John won a Grammy for the song
"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody-style ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. The song was originally written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.
In 1986, Elton John released a live version of the song as part of the set "Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra". This version earned him a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male.
In 1997, John and Taupin adapted the song as a tribute to Princess Diana, who had passed away that year. This version, titled "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose", featured new lyrics and instrumentation, including a string quartet and woodwind. The recording was produced by Sir George Martin and released just two weeks after Diana's death.
The original version of "Candle in the Wind" has been recognised as one of the greatest songs of all time, ranking at number 347 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. The song's lyrics and melody have been praised as one of the best marriages of lyric and melody by Taupin, who is considered a legendary lyricist.
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Taupin says the song is about fame and youth
"Candle in the Wind" is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. While the song is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, Taupin has clarified that it is not about her specifically. Instead, he asserts that the song is about the broader themes of fame and youth.
In interviews, Taupin has disputed the notion that he was a rabid Marilyn Monroe fan, stating that she was merely a metaphor for the song's central themes. He explained that the song could have easily been about other iconic figures who died young, such as James Dean, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, or authors like Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. The concept of "candle in the wind" was inspired by industry producer Clive Davis, who used the phrase to describe Janis Joplin. Taupin elaborated on the song's theme, stating:
> It's pretty freaky how people really believe these people are somehow different from us. It's a theme that's figured prominently in a lot of our songs, and I think it'll probably continue to do so.
Taupin's lyrics reflect the tragedy of Monroe's life and the universal fragility of human existence. The song's opening line, "Goodbye, Norma Jean," refers to Monroe's real name, highlighting the personal nature of the tribute. However, the song's themes of vulnerability and the fleeting nature of fame allowed it to resonate with audiences beyond its original subject matter.
In 1997, Taupin and John adapted the song as a tribute to Princess Diana, who had passed away that year. Taupin rewrote the lyrics, and the new version, "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose," became a poignant tribute to Diana's life and humanitarian efforts. The song touched the hearts of millions worldwide and became the best-selling single in UK chart history and the second highest-selling physical single of all time.
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Frequently asked questions
"Candle in the Wind" was written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin.
The song was originally written about Marilyn Monroe, but in 1997, Elton John and Bernie Taupin adapted the song to pay tribute to Princess Diana, who had passed away.
Lyricist Bernie Taupin has said that the song is about "the idea of fame or youth or somebody being cut short in the prime of their life." The phrase "candle in the wind" was allegedly used by industry producer Clive Davis to describe Janis Joplin.
The original version of "Candle in the Wind" was released in 1973 as part of Elton John's album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". The rewritten version of the song, "Candle in the Wind 1997", was released in September 1997 as a tribute to Princess Diana.
