Maddie James
Elton John performed Candle in the Wind at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. 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, Candle in the Wind 1997, as a tribute to Princess Diana. The song became the best-selling single in UK chart history and earned John a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1998.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Song Name | Candle in the Wind |
| Year | 1973 (original), 1997 (new version) |
| Singer | Elton John |
| Songwriter | Elton John, Bernie Taupin |
| Producer | Sir George Martin |
| Tribute to | Marilyn Monroe (original), Diana, Princess of Wales (new version) |
| Lyrics | "Goodbye Norma Jean / Though I never knew you at all" (original), "Goodbye England's Rose / May you ever grow in our hearts" (new version) |
| Performance | Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (1986, 1987), Princess Diana's funeral (1997) |
| Awards | Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male (1988) |
| Charts | No. 11 in the UK (1974), No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart (1988), No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (1988), No. 1 on the UK charts (1997) |
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What You'll Learn
Elton John's performance at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997
On 6 September 1997, Elton John performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey. He sang an alternate version of his 1973 song "Candle in the Wind", rewritten as a tribute to the Princess, who had died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. The new version, titled "Candle in the Wind 1997", "Goodbye England's Rose", or "Candle in the Wind '97", was written by John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, and produced by Sir George Martin.
The original "Candle in the Wind" was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died in 1962. John and Taupin adapted the lyrics to reflect the life and death of Princess Diana. For example, the opening line "Goodbye Norma Jean", referring to Monroe's real name, was changed to "Goodbye England's rose". The song was recorded at Townhouse Studios in West London immediately after the funeral, with a string quartet and woodwind instruments added to the arrangement.
John's performance at the funeral was widely praised for its professionalism and emotional impact. Many noted the strength it must have taken for him to master his emotions and get through the song, as he and Princess Diana were very good friends. In his autobiography, John revealed that he had been deeply shocked by her death and wanted to pay tribute to her with the song.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" was released as a single on 13 September 1997, with global proceeds going to Princess Diana's charities. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, reaching number one in the UK charts on its first day of release and selling over 33 million copies worldwide. Despite its commercial success, John has never performed the Princess Diana version of the song again, vowing never to sing it live unless asked by her sons.
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The song's original dedication to Marilyn Monroe
"Candle in the Wind", written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, was originally a threnody-style ballad honouring Marilyn Monroe, written in 1973, 11 years after her death. The song's opening line, "Goodbye, Norma Jean", refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (also spelled "Jean") Mortenson. Taupin was inspired to write the lyrics after hearing Clive Davis use the phrase "candle in the wind" in tribute to Janis Joplin.
Taupin has since disputed the idea that he was a Monroe fan, stating that she was a metaphor for fame and dying young. He also noted that the song could have been about several other famous figures who died young, such as James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Sylvia Plath, or Virginia Woolf. Taupin has also said that the theory that he was a "'rabid Marilyn Monroe fanatic' is a common misconception, and that the song is more broadly about "the idea of fame or youth or somebody being cut short in the prime of their life".
The original version of the song, in the key of E major, appeared on John's 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and was released as a single in 1974. The single release reached No. 11 in the UK charts that year and was ranked No. 347 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. The song was also re-released in the 1980s, reaching No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1988.
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 that year. This version featured new lyrics adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death, such as changing the opening line to "Goodbye England's rose / May you ever grow in our hearts". John has not performed this version live since Diana's funeral and it has not been included on any of his subsequent albums or compilations.
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The 1997 version's lyrical changes
The 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", was a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. The song was first written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.
The lyrical changes between the two versions are direct but not drastic. The original song opens with:
> "Goodbye Norma Jean / Though I never knew you at all"
Referring to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (or Jean) Mortenson. The 1997 version's opening lines were changed to:
> "Goodbye England's rose / May you ever grow in our hearts".
Some lines were altered to be more personal to Princess Diana, or because they were too personal for Monroe. The chorus was also modified. The original goes:
> "And I would've liked to know you / But I was just a kid / Your candle burned out long before / Your legend ever did".
The new version's chorus is:
> "And it seems to me you lived your life / Like a candle in the wind / And I would have liked to know you / But I was just a kid / Your candle's burned out long before / Your legend ever did".
Elton John performed the rewritten version of the song at Princess Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. He has since refused to perform the revised version, even for the memorial Concert for Diana in July 2007, vowing never to sing it again unless asked by Diana's sons.
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The song's chart success
"Candle in the Wind", written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, was first released in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. The single was released in 1974 and reached No. 11 in the UK charts. It was included as the second track on John's 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".
In 1986, John released a live version of the song as part of the set "Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra". This version reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. John also took home the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male for this version.
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 that year. This version reached No. 1 on the UK charts and several other countries as well. It is considered one of the best-selling singles of all time.
John performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" at Princess Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. He has stated that he will not perform this version of the song again unless asked by Diana's sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
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The song's Grammy Award win
"Candle in the Wind", written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, was first released in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. 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 a car crash that year. The new version featured revised lyrics and additional instrumentation, including a string quartet and woodwind.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" was released on September 13, 1997, and became an immediate commercial success. It entered the UK singles chart at number one after just one day of sales, and also topped the charts in several other countries, including Germany, Australia, and France. The song sold an estimated six copies per second at its peak and ultimately became the second-best-selling single of all time, with 33 million copies sold worldwide.
At the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998, Elton John won the award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Candle in the Wind 1997". This was not the first time the song had earned him Grammy recognition; the original version of "Candle in the Wind" received a Grammy nomination in the same category in 1988.
Elton John has only ever performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" once, at Princess Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997. He has repeatedly turned down requests to perform the song again, even for special occasions such as the memorial Concert for Diana in 2007. Instead, he continues to sing the original version of the song at his concerts.
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Frequently asked questions
Elton John performed 'Candle in the Wind' at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 6 September 1997.
No, the song was originally written and performed in 1973 in honour of Marilyn Monroe.
Richard Branson contacted John, noting that many people writing in the book of condolence at St James's Palace were quoting the lyrics of 'Candle in the Wind'. Branson asked John if he would rewrite the lyrics and sing them at the funeral.
Yes, John contacted his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, asking him to revise the lyrics of the original song to honour Princess Diana.
No, he has not performed this version live since.
