The track commemorates a few tragedies particularly, in addition to our common fixation on fame.
Elton John’s iconic pop track “Candle within the Wind” is inextricably linked to a few real-life tragedies, although there’s a lot to the story that followers could not understand. It was first devoted to Marilyn Monroe, and later to Princess Diana on the time of her loss of life. Learn on for a glance again at how the track was created – and reinvented – and its legacy constructed over the past half-century.
“Candle within the Wind” was first written in 1973 and launched on the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Highway. John co-wrote it along with his frequent collaborator Bernie Taupin, desiring to honor actress and mannequin Marilyn Monroe, who had handed away in 1962. It was re-released in 1974 as a single – the B-side to John’s track “Bennie and the Jets.” In an interview with Mojo Journal, Taupin stated the seeds of the track had been planted when he heard producer Clive Davis describe Janis Joplin as a “candle within the wind.”
“I simply saved listening to this time period. I believed, what a good way of describing somebody’s life,” he defined. “In a manner, I am fascinated with that idea. So, [this song is] actually about how fame impacts the person or lady on the street, that complete adulation factor and the fanaticism of fandom. It is fairly freaky how folks actually imagine these persons are by some means totally different from us. It is a theme that is figured prominently in numerous our songs, and I believe it will in all probability proceed to take action.”
It is price noting that Princess Diana was not the primary individual John re-dedicated this track to. In 1990, he performed the track at Farm Assist IV and devoted it to Ryan White – an American teenager who made headlines for being ostracized after he was identified with AIDS. White handed away the day after the live performance, and John attended his funeral to play the track “Skyline Pidgeon.”
The extra well-known re-dedication – and arguably, essentially the most well-known model of the track – got here in 1997 with the passing of Princess Diana. John re-recorded “Candle within the Wind” with new lyrics, and a few venues even listed it with the brand new title “Goodbye England’s Rose.” This track peaked at number one on the U.Okay. charts, and several other different international locations as effectively. In keeping with Guinness World Data, it’s the second-best promoting single of all time.
The lyrical adjustments between the 2 variations are very direct and never too drastic. The unique track opens with: “Goodbye Norma Jean / Although I by no means knew you in any respect,” whereas the 1997 model begins: “Goodbye, England’s Rose / Could you ever develop in our hearts.” Some traces are modified to be extra private for the late princess, or as a result of they had been too private for Monroe.
The long-lasting refrain even received two adjustments – whereas the unique goes: “And I might’ve wish to know you / However I used to be only a child / Your candle burned out lengthy earlier than / Your legend ever did,” the re-write goes: “And your footsteps will all the time fall right here / Alongside England’s greenest hills / Your candle burned out lengthy earlier than / Your legend ever will.”
As beloved as this re-write is, just a few critics through the years have questioned the selection to repurpose a tribute to 1 public determine for an additional. Each John and Taupin have answered that critique. Within the documentary Basic Albums, Taupin stated that the track is basically about “the concept of fame or youth or someone being minimize brief within the prime of their life. The track may have been about James Dean, it may have been about Montgomery Clift, it may have been about Jim Morrison… how we glamorize loss of life, how we immortalize folks.” He additionally disputed the presumption that he was a die-hard fan of Monroe, saying that wasn’t actually true, and that she was only a highly effective image of the concept he was expressing.
In the meantime, John answered the critics who felt uneasy evaluating Princess Diana to Monroe, who was typically described as “a intercourse image” in fashionable tradition. In 2014, John advised the BBC: “I attempted to make it a track that advised you the explanation [Monroe] was so fashionable, [and] that she was very a lot someone folks may fall in love with with out her being out of attain. I actually do not suppose folks considered her as a intercourse image.”
As we speak, “Candle within the Wind” is a staple at memorials and tribute occasions. For most individuals it’s strongly related to Princess Diana, however it has been ascribed to different public figures as effectively. The track is streaming now on most main music apps.
