When Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, this song was released in her honor.
As a so-called "obituary", Elton John, a close friend of Diana, played the song "Candle in the Wind" at her funeral on September 6, 1997, starting with the lyric " Goodbye England's Rose ".
Many people now think that the song was composed specifically for Princess Diana, but that is not entirely correct: the song has been around since 1973 , only the lyrics were largely changed and translated to Diana!
You can listen to a recording of the original version here:
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Who is Norma Jean?
As you may have noticed, the first line of lyrics is not “ Goodbye England's Rose ,” but “ Goodbye Norma Jean .”
Many other lyrics are also different, but the melody remains the same. And who is Norma Jean? The song is a tribute to the woman who died in August 1962 at the age of 36 and whose real name was Norma Jeane Baker - Marylin Monroe .
Other lines of text also point to Marylin Monroe, most clearly of course the line “ All the papers had to say, was that Marilyn was found in the nude.” (“ All the papers had to say was that Marylin was found naked ") .
From Norma Jean to Diana
The song should be seen as an allegory for the excesses of show business in general, according to co-lyricist Bernie Taupin's statement to Rolling Stone . It could have been about Montgomery Clift, James Dean or Jim Morrison. But Marylin was particularly vulnerable and also a woman, and Elton John is a big fan of hers. Specifically, it's about the excesses of being famous, the early demise of celebrities and " Live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse." “And that was really the core of the song.
When Princess Diana died in 1997, Elton John was shocked. He and Diana had been close friends
since 1981 That's why Elton John was asked if he could sing a song in Diana's honor at her funeral.
After consulting with his friend and co-writer Bernie Taupin, they both realized that it was impossible to write and compose a completely new song in just a few days. Instead, they decided to rewrite the old song “Candle in the Wind” accordingly. A string quartet and woodwinds were added to the production of the song and it was then named “Candle in the Wind 1997”.
So if Elton John had had more time, a completely different, new song would have been a tribute to Princess Diana.
Here you can see both song lyrics in comparison again:
| “Candle in the Wind” Princess Diana version, 1997 |
| Goodbye England's Rose May you ever grow in our hearts. You were the grace that placed yourself Where lives were torn apart. You called out to our country, And you whispered to those in pain. Now you belong to heaven, And the stars spell out your name. |
| And it seems to me you lived your life Like a candle in the wind: Never fading with the sunset When the rain sets in. And your footsteps will always fall here, Along England's greenest hills; Your candle's burned out long before your legend ever will. |
| Loveliness we've lost; These empty days without your smile. This torch we'll always carry For our nation's golden child. And even though we try, The truth brings us to tears; All our words cannot express The joy you brought us through the years. |
| Goodbye England's Rose, From a country lost without your soul, Who'll miss the wings of your compassion More than you'll ever know. |
| “Candle in the Wind” original version, 1973 |
| Goodbye Norma Jean Though I never knew you at all You had the grace to hold yourself While those around you crawled They crawled out of the woodwork And they whispered into your brain They set you on the treadmill And they made you change your name |
| And it seems to me you lived your life Like a candle in the wind Never knowing who to cling to When the rain set in And I would have liked to have known you But I was just a kid Your candle burned out long before Your legend ever did |
| Loneliness was tough The toughest role you ever played Hollywood created a superstar And pain was the price you paid Even when you died Oh the press still hounded you All the papers had to say Was that Marilyn was found in the nude |
| Goodbye Norma Jean From the young man in the 22nd row Who sees you as something more than sexual More than just our Marilyn Monroe |
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