Ben Carter
Candle in the Wind, a song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, was originally released in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. However, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, John and Taupin reworked the song, adapting the lyrics to honour her life and death. The new version, titled Candle in the Wind 1997 or Goodbye England's Rose, was released on September 13, 1997, and became an anthem for Princess Diana's mourners. John performed the song at Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997, and it has since become one of the best-selling singles of all time, with over 33 million copies sold worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Song | Candle in the Wind |
| Year | 1997 |
| Performer | Elton John |
| Songwriter | Bernie Taupin |
| Tribute to | Princess Diana |
| Original version | Tribute to Marilyn Monroe |
| Lyrics | Adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death |
| Performance | Only performed once at Diana's funeral |
| Record sales | Over 33 million copies worldwide |
| Awards | Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance |
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What You'll Learn
Elton John's performance at Diana's funeral
On 31 August 1997, the world was shocked by the sudden death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris, France. The news was particularly distressing for Elton John, who counted Princess Diana among his closest friends.
John wanted to pay tribute to his late friend and cope with his grief. In his autobiography, *Me*, John recounts a phone call from Richard Branson, who informed him that many mourners signing the book of condolence at St James's Palace were quoting the lyrics of "Candle in the Wind". Branson asked John if he would consider rewriting the lyrics and performing them at Princess Diana's funeral. John believed that Branson had been contacted by the Spencer family.
John agreed to perform at the funeral, which took place on 6 September 1997 at Westminster Abbey. He contacted his songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, and asked him to revise the lyrics of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" to honour Princess Diana. Taupin finished the new text within hours, drawing parallels between the lives of Diana and Marilyn Monroe, who had also died prematurely at the age of 36.
John's performance of “Candle in the Wind 1997”, also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", was broadcast to millions of viewers around the world. It was an emotional and challenging moment for John, who later described the experience as "surreal". He has not performed this version of the song live since and has vowed never to do so again unless asked by Diana's sons.
The song became an anthem for Princess Diana's life and legacy, and it is considered one of the best-selling singles of all time, with proceeds going to charitable causes that were close to Diana's heart.
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The song's proceeds going to Diana's charities
The 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", was a rewritten and re-recorded version of the 1973 song of the same name by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. The new version was released as a tribute single to Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.
Elton John performed the song publicly only once, at Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. The song was never released or re-released on any of his albums or compilations. John has also repeatedly turned down requests to perform the revised version, vowing never to do so again unless asked by Diana's sons.
The song became the fastest-selling single in history, with more than 33 million copies sold worldwide. All artist and composer royalties and record company profits were donated to Diana's charities via the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The fund was closed in 2012, 15 years after it was set up, and had raised a total of £138 million ($176.7 million) for the charities. A staggering £38 million ($49 million) of this came from the sale of "Candle in the Wind" alone.
John Bechard, the memorial fund's accountant, said:
> When Diana died there were thousands of donations pouring in, but they were mostly around the £5 and £10 mark. The proceeds from Candle In The Wind gave us a remarkable chunk of money which massively raised the fund's profile, triggering a snowball effect. We are indebted to Sir Elton for his generosity.
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The song's lyrics
"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", is a rewritten version of the 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. The 1997 version was recorded as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. John and Taupin revised the lyrics of the original song, which was written in honour of Marilyn Monroe, to reflect the circumstances of Diana's life and death.
The opening line of the 1973 version, "Goodbye Norma Jean/Though I never knew you at all", was adapted to "Goodbye England's rose/May you ever grow in our hearts". The rest of the lyrics were also adapted to suit the context of the tribute to Diana. For example, the line "Your candle's burned out long before/Your legend ever will" could be interpreted as a reference to Diana's untimely death and her enduring legacy. The song also includes references to England, such as "Along England's greenest hills" and "From a country lost without your soul", which are not present in the original version.
The lyrics of the 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind" highlight the impact that Diana had on the people of England and the world. For example, the lines "Loveliness we've lost/These empty days without your smile/This torch we'll always carry/For our nation's golden child" express the sense of loss and grief felt after Diana's death. The song also acknowledges Diana's compassion and the joy she brought to others, with the lines "Who'll miss the wings of your compassion/More than you'll ever know" and "All our words cannot express/The joy you brought us through the years".
The original 1973 version of "Candle in the Wind", written in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier, includes references to her real name, Norma Jeane Mortenson, with the opening line "Goodbye, Norma Jean". The song sympathetically portrays Monroe's life and the turbulence she experienced due to her stardom. Taupin has stated that the song could have been about other celebrities who died young, such as James Dean, Jim Morrison, or Kurt Cobain, as it explores the idea of "someone being cut short in their prime".
John performed the 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind" at Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997, and the song was released as a single on 13 September 1997. The song became a commercial success, selling over 33 million copies worldwide and becoming the best-selling or second-best-selling single of all time. All artist and composer royalties and record company profits were donated to Diana's charities. John has not performed the 1997 version live since Diana's funeral and it has not appeared on any of his subsequent albums.
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The song's original version
"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", is a rewritten and re-recorded version of the 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. The original song, in the key of E major, was written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier in 1962. The opening line "Goodbye, Norma Jean" refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (also spelled as Jean) Mortenson.
Taupin later revealed that he was inspired to write the song after hearing the phrase "candle in the wind" used by Clive Davis in tribute to Janis Joplin, who died of a heroin overdose in 1970 at the age of 27. Taupin also noted that the theory that he was a "rabid Marilyn Monroe fanatic" was a misconception, and that the song could have easily been about several other stars who died young.
After Diana's death in 1997, John wanted to pay tribute to her and decided to rewrite the lyrics of the 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" to honour her. He contacted Taupin, who wrote a new text, drawing parallels between the lives of Diana and Monroe, who had both died at the age of 36. The new version of the song, "Candle in the Wind 1997", was released on 13 September 1997, and all proceeds from the song were donated to Diana's charities.
John has only performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" once, at Diana's funeral on 6 September 1997, and he has vowed never to perform it again unless asked by Diana's sons. The original version of the song, on the other hand, continues to be performed by John at his concerts.
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The song's inspiration
"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It is a re-written and re-recorded version of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind", released as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.
The original version of the song was written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier, in 1962. The song's opening line, "Goodbye, Norma Jean", refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (more commonly spelled Jean) Mortenson. Taupin was inspired to write the lyrics after hearing the phrase "candle in the wind" used by Clive Davis in tribute to Janis Joplin, who died of a heroin overdose in 1970 at the age of 27.
After Diana's death, John wanted to pay tribute to her and decided to rewrite the lyrics of "Candle in the Wind" to honour her. He contacted Taupin, who wrote a new text, drawing parallels between the lives of Diana and Monroe, who had both died at the age of 36. Taupin adapted most of the lyrics to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death. The opening line of the 1973 version, "Goodbye Norma Jean / Though I never knew you at all", was changed to "Goodbye England's rose / May you ever grow in our hearts".
John performed the new version of the song at Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997, just seven days after her death. He has not performed this version live since and it has not appeared on any of his subsequent albums. All artist and composer royalties and record company profits from the song were donated to Diana's charities. The song became the best-selling or second-best-selling single worldwide of all time, with over 33 million copies sold.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten version of the 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, released as a tribute to Princess Diana.
Yes, Elton John performed the song at Princess Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997. He has not performed this version of the song since.
No, the original version of "Candle in the Wind" was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
Yes, the Spencer family contacted Elton John and requested that he rewrite and perform the song at her funeral. All artist and composer royalties and profits from the 1997 version were donated to Diana's charities.
Yes, the song became the fastest-selling record of all time in the UK charts, selling over 650,000 copies in 24 hours. It has sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is considered one of the best-selling singles of all time.
