It is a strange thing to think about, really. Most people hear the piano intro and immediately think of a funeral in 1997. They see the images of a grieving Prince William and Prince Harry walking behind a casket. But that’s not how the story started. Not even close. When you look at the history of Candle in the Wind Elton John first released in 1973, it was a totally different beast. It wasn't about a Princess. It was a gritty, somewhat cynical look at the machinery of Hollywood fame through the lens of Marilyn Monroe.
Bernie Taupin, Elton’s long-time lyricist, didn't even use the phrase "candle in the wind" to describe Monroe because he was her biggest fan. He actually got the phrase from a tribute to Janis Joplin.
Life is weird like that.
The song has lived two completely distinct lives. First, as a glam-rock era ballad on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, and later, as a global anthem for grief that sold over 33 million copies. It is literally the second highest-selling physical single of all time, right behind Bing Crosby’s "White Christmas." That is a massive amount of plastic and ink.
From Norma Jean to the People's Princess
Let’s go back to 1973. Elton John was at the height of his "spectacle" phase. He was wearing the feathers, the giant glasses, the whole bit. The original version of "Candle in the Wind" was recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in France. If you listen to that original recording, it has a much more "rock" feel to it than the version we hear on the radio today. The backing vocals from Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson give it this lush, almost ethereal quality that fits the 1970s aesthetic perfectly.
Taupin’s lyrics were a critique. He was writing about how the media and the public "set you on a treadmill" and "created a superstar." He used Monroe’s birth name, Norma Jean, to ground the song in the reality of a person who was lost under the weight of an icon.
Then came 1997.
The world stopped when Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. Elton was a close personal friend of hers. They had actually just reconciled after a period of not speaking. He was devastated. He called Bernie and asked him to rewrite the lyrics.
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Bernie didn't have much time. He wrote the new lyrics in about two hours. He shifted the focus from the "Hollywood" star to "England’s Rose." It was a massive pivot. Honestly, if you look at the lyrics side-by-side, it’s a masterclass in how to repurpose a melody to fit a completely different cultural moment.
The Performance That Defined a Generation
The 1997 funeral performance at Westminster Abbey is probably one of the most-watched musical moments in history. It’s estimated that 2.5 billion people tuned in. Think about that number. That’s nearly half the planet at the time.
Elton was terrified.
He actually had a teleprompter installed on his piano because he was so worried he would accidentally sing the original lyrics about Marilyn Monroe. Can you imagine? Singing "Goodbye Norma Jean" at Princess Diana's funeral? It would have been a disaster. But he nailed it. The raw emotion in his voice—that slight crack when he sings "your footsteps will always fall here"—that’s what made it real.
The song was produced by Sir George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer. He added a string quartet and woodwinds that made the track feel more like a hymn than a pop song. It was recorded immediately after the funeral at Townhouse Studios in London. It took only a few takes. They knew they had to capture that specific lightning in a bottle before the moment passed.
Why the 1997 Version Disappeared
Here is something most people don't realize: Elton John almost never sings the "Goodbye England's Rose" version live anymore. He did it once for the funeral, and that was basically it, outside of very specific requests or memorial events.
He won a Grammy for it. It topped the charts in almost every country on Earth. It stayed at number one in Canada for three years. Three years! That’s genuinely insane. But Elton has always been very protective of that version. He doesn't want to "exploit" Diana’s memory. He even asked that the song not be included on most of his subsequent "Greatest Hits" compilations in its 1997 form.
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If you go to an Elton John concert today, he will sing the 1973 version. He goes back to Norma Jean.
The Technical Brilliance of the Composition
Musically, the song is actually quite sophisticated for a "pop ballad." It’s written in E major, which is a key often associated with brightness and warmth, but Elton plays it with a certain melancholy. The way he hits the "Goodbye" at the start of the chorus uses a descending melodic line that feels like a sigh.
There’s also the matter of the "live" version from 1986. A lot of people forget this one. He recorded a version in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He was actually having major issues with his vocal cords at the time—he had polyps and would need surgery shortly after. This gave his voice a raspier, deeper quality. That 1986 live version was actually the one that made the song a huge hit in the United States all over again, years before the Diana version existed.
Comparing the Three Main Versions
The 1973 Original:
This is the "artist's version." It’s about the cost of fame. It’s got that classic 70s rock production. It feels like a piece of cinema.
The 1986 Live in Australia:
This is the "vocalist's version." It’s grand and sweeping. It proved the song could work as a massive orchestral anthem.
The 1997 Tribute:
This is the "historical version." It’s a funeral march. It’s a piece of collective mourning. It’s the version that broke every record in the book.
The Cultural Legacy of Candle in the Wind
There is a lot of debate among music critics about which version is "better." Some purists think the 1997 version is too sentimental. They argue that the original lyrics were more poetic and bit harder. Others say the 1997 version is the ultimate expression of pop music's power to heal a grieving public.
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The song basically invented the "charity single" on a scale we had never seen before. All the proceeds from the 1997 version—amounting to over £38 million—went to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. It funded palliative care, landmine removal, and children's hospitals.
It’s rare that a song has that kind of tangible, physical impact on the world.
Misconceptions People Still Have
A common mistake is thinking the song was written for Diana. It wasn't. It was 24 years old when she died. Another misconception is that Elton and Bernie wrote it because they were obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. Bernie has said in interviews that he could have just as easily written it about Montgomery Clift or any other star who died young. Marilyn was just the most recognizable symbol of that "burned out candle" metaphor.
Also, some people think Elton performs the 1997 version at every show. As mentioned before, he really doesn't. He treats it as a sacred piece of history that belongs to that specific week in September 1997.
Moving Forward With the Music
If you really want to understand the impact of Candle in the Wind Elton John, you have to listen to the versions chronologically. It’s a trip. You can hear the evolution of Elton’s voice from a young, bright tenor to a seasoned, soulful baritone.
Next Steps to Explore the Song:
- Listen to the 1973 album version first. Pay attention to the drums and the backing vocals. It’s a rock song, not just a ballad.
- Watch the 1986 Melbourne Symphony performance. You can see the physical strain on Elton's face, yet the performance is flawless.
- Read the lyrics to both versions side-by-side. Look at how Bernie Taupin kept the structure but swapped the "Hollywood" imagery for "pastoral" imagery (like the "wings of a bird").
- Check out the B-side of the 1997 single. It usually included "Something About the Way You Look Tonight," which is a classic in its own right and actually got a lot of radio play when the grief from the A-side started to become too heavy for some listeners.
The song remains a staple of music history because it taps into a universal truth: we hate to see a bright light go out too soon. Whether it's a movie star or a princess, the "candle in the wind" is a metaphor that just works. It’s simple, it’s visual, and thanks to Elton’s piano, it’s unforgettable.