Brooke Martin
Candle in the Wind 1997, also known as Goodbye England's Rose, is a threnody by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was released on 13 September 1997 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August of the same year. The song is a rewritten and re-recorded version of their 1973 song Candle in the Wind, which was written in honour of Marilyn Monroe. Candle in the Wind 1997 is in the key of E major, the same as the original version.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Performer | Elton John |
| Songwriter | Bernie Taupin |
| Tribute to | Diana, Princess of Wales |
| Genre | Threnody-style ballad |
| Original key | E major |
| Release date | 13 September 1997 |
| Chart performance | Reached No.1 on the UK singles chart, No.14 on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart, No.1 in Germany, No.1 in Australia, No.1 in Finland |
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What You'll Learn
The song is a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales
"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", is a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. The song is a rewritten version of the 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. The original song was written in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.
John performed the 1997 version of the song at the funeral of Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. The song was released as a single on 13 September 1997, with global proceeds going towards Diana's charities. The song peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and several other countries, becoming the best-selling single in UK chart history and the second-best-selling single in the world, with 33 million copies sold.
The lyrics of the 1997 version were adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death. The opening lines of the original song, "Goodbye Norma Jean / though I never knew you at all", were changed 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 appeared on any of his subsequent albums.
The song was produced by Sir George Martin, who added a string quartet and woodwind instrumentation to the recording. The single was pressed as a double A-side with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" in many countries. John won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the song at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998.
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It was performed at her funeral in 1997
"Candle in the Wind 1997" was performed by Elton John at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. John was a close friend of Princess Diana, and the performance was an emotional one. The song was a rewritten version of the original "Candle in the Wind", with new lyrics by Bernie Taupin, honouring the Princess, who had died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. The opening lines of the original 1973 version, "Goodbye Norma Jean / Though I never knew you at all", were adapted to "Goodbye England's rose / May you ever grow in our hearts". The rest of the lyrics were also adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death.
The performance at the funeral was the only time John has publicly performed the 1997 version of the song. He has since declined requests to perform it again, even for the memorial Concert for Diana in July 2007, vowing never to sing it again unless asked by Diana's sons. The song was recorded in the studio immediately after the funeral and released as a single. It became the fastest-selling single in the UK, selling 658,000 copies on its first day and over 1.5 million in its first week. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, selling 3.5 million copies in its first week and staying at number one for 14 consecutive weeks.
The original version of "Candle in the Wind" was written by John and Taupin in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. The song appeared on John's album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and was released as a single in 1974. The opening line "Goodbye, Norma Jean" refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (or Jean) Mortenson. The 1997 version of the song, honouring Princess Diana, was also listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest songs of all time.
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It is a rewritten version of the original 1973 song
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten version of the original "Candle in the Wind" song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, released in 1973. The original song was written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962, and the 1997 version was rewritten as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in 1997.
The original "Candle in the Wind" was written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin and appeared on John's 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." The song was released as a single in 1974 and peaked at #11 on the UK charts. The lyrics of the song are a sympathetic portrayal of the life of Marilyn Monroe, with the opening line "Goodbye, Norma Jean" referring to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (commonly spelled Jean) Mortenson.
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 earlier that year. The new version featured revised lyrics by Taupin and was recorded with a string quartet and woodwind instruments, produced by George Martin. The song was released as a single in September 1997 and peaked at #1 in the UK and several other countries.
The 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind" is also known as "Goodbye England's Rose" and has never been released on any of John's albums or compilations. John has only performed the song publicly once, at Princess Diana's funeral in September 1997, and has stated that he will not perform it again unless requested by Diana's sons. Despite this, the song has been a commercial success, becoming the best-selling single in Billboard history and selling over 11 million copies in the US alone.
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It is in the key of E major
"Candle in the Wind", written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, was originally composed in the key of E major. This version was released in 1974 as a single and featured on John's 1973 album, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". The song is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, with the opening line "Goodbye, Norma Jean" referencing Monroe's real name.
In 1997, John performed a rewritten version of "Candle in the Wind", titled "Candle in the Wind 1997", as an homage to Princess Diana of Wales. This rendition became widely known and achieved significant commercial success.
The original version of the song, set in the key of E major, holds a distinguished place in music history. It garnered critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone magazine ranking it 347th on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time in 2004.
The key of E major provides a bright and uplifting tone to the song. The choice of key may have been influenced by the song's sympathetic portrayal of Marilyn Monroe's life, aiming to capture her enduring legacy and impact on popular culture.
The use of E major in "Candle in the Wind" showcases the versatility of the key, which can evoke both happiness and a sense of loss, depending on the context and lyrics of the song.
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It is one of the best-selling singles of all time
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song is a rewritten version of the original "Candle in the Wind", written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. The 1997 version was re-recorded and released as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who passed away that year.
The single sold an impressive number of copies worldwide and broke several records. In the UK, "Candle in the Wind 1997" became the fastest-selling single, selling 658,000 copies on its first day of release and over 1.5 million in its first week. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for five weeks, becoming the best-selling single in UK chart history with over 4.9 million copies sold as of 2017.
In the US, the single debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 3.5 million copies in its first week. It stayed at the top of the charts for 14 consecutive weeks, setting a record for a male solo artist. The song also achieved success in other countries, with high pre-order numbers in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Australia.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" was produced by Sir George Martin and featured a string quartet and woodwind instruments. All artist and composer royalties and record company profits were donated to Diana's charities via the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The song's success and impact solidified its place as one of the best-selling singles of all time.
While "Candle in the Wind 1997" is considered one of the best-selling singles, some sources note that "White Christmas" may hold the title for the best-selling single of all time, as it was listed as such in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records in 1955.
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Frequently asked questions
The key of the song "Candle in the Wind 1997" is E major.
The song "Candle in the Wind 1997" was written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten version of the original "Candle in the Wind", written in tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in 1997.
