Candle in the Wind
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- For the 1997 version in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, see Candle in the Wind 1997.
| "Candle in the Wind" | |||||||
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| Single by Elton John | |||||||
| from the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | |||||||
| B-side | "Bennie and the Jets" | ||||||
| Released | 1974 | ||||||
| Format | Vinyl record (7") | ||||||
| Genre | Glam rock | ||||||
| Length | 3:49 | ||||||
| Label | MCA (U.S./Canada) DJM Records |
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| Writer(s) | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | ||||||
| Elton John singles chronology | |||||||
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"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honor of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.
In 1997, John performed a remake of the song as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. This version of the song was released as a single, and reached No. 1 in many countries, proving a much greater success than the original.
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[edit] Original version
The original version in the key of E major appeared on John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The lyrics of the song are a sympathetic portrayal of the life of Marilyn Monroe (the song's opening line "Goodbye Norma Jeane" refers to Monroe's real name). The single release of the original song reached No. 11 in the U.K. charts in 1974. At the time, it was not released as a single in the United States ("Bennie and the Jets" was chosen instead). Taupin was inspired to write the song after hearing the phrase "candle in the wind" used in tribute to Janis Joplin.
This version is ranked No. 347 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
On April 7, 1990, at Farm Aid 4, John dedicated the song to Ryan White, his friend who was suffering from AIDS. White died from AIDS complications the next day.[1]
[edit] 1986 live version
On December 14, 1986, a live version of the song was recorded in Sydney, Australia. It was released in 1987 on the album Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and as a single. In 1988, it reached No. 5 in the U.K. charts and No. 6 in the United States. This is the most popular version, still getting radio play.
[edit] 1997 version
"Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" is a remake of "Candle in the Wind" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. Released in 1997, the song peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, becoming John's fourth No. 1 single. It also peaked at No. 1 in several other countries. The Guinness Book of Records 2007 states that "Candle In the Wind 1997" is the biggest-selling single "since records began," but that Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" has sold the most copies. John said he would never again sing this version live except at the request of Harry or William Windsor.[citation needed]
