Elton John – Candle in the Wind

Video above, is from the Princess Diana’s Funeral. A flawless interpretation by Elton John with re-written lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

Written by Elton John and his collaborator Bernie Taupin, “Candle in the Wind” was inspired by the short life of Marilyn Monroe. The song’s opening lines, “Goodbye, Norma Jeane / Though I never knew you at all,” are a reference to Monroe’s birth name (Norma Jeane Mortenson). While Monroe’s fame and tragic death were the key inspiration points for “Candle in the Wind,” Taupin has himself stated that he could have chosen a number of other celebrities throughout history to pay tribute to in the song.

Over the years, “Candle in the Wind” has become one of Elton John’s better-known songs, and Rolling Stone even put the song at No. 356 on its 2010 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The song’s ongoing popularity may also be due, in part, to a revised version of the song that John released in 1997. The rewritten version — rather than being a tribute to Marilyn Monroe — was made in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. Bernie Taupin rewrote the song’s lyrics to suit Diana, with the opening words changed to, “Goodbye England’s rose / May you ever grow in our hearts.”

John has only ever performed the rewritten version of “Candle in the Wind” once, at Diana’s funeral. However, both it and the original version remain constant examples of the power and empathy present in so many of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s songs.

The video below of the “Candle in the Wind” came from the Live In Australia With The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra album. The video is from Elton’s 1986 concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The sound of applause is the audience responding to the orchestra lighting candles, unbeknownst to Elton.

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Elton John - Candle In The Wind

Elton John - Candle In The Wind04:26

Elton John recorded om 6 September 1997, a new version of ‘Candle In The Wind’ after performing the song live at Diana Princess of Wales funeral. An estimated 2.5 billion people around the world watched Elton play the special tribute to Diana. The track went on to become the biggest selling single of all-time.

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