Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the ... - John, Elton (CD 1997)

Where were you when the terrible news came to you about Diana? I arrived at my parents home for lunch on Sunday, August 31, 1997 to the news that she and Dodi had been in a terrible car accident in Paris and that tragically, he had died along with the driver of the vehicle, Henri Paul. This was shocking enough and so sad for Diana and we sat and drank tea as if this terrible loss had happened to a dear friend. Shortly after came the shocking news. Diana, Princess of Wales had died in a Paris hospital. The announcement seemed somehow surreal, simply unbelievable. It felt as though a member of the family had been taken and we were all quite stunned. I understand that our very powerful and personal reaction to the news of the death of Diana was experienced by many many people around the world who had loved her from afar and shared the ups and downs of her tragically short life.

Afterwards I remembered the photographs which had been published around the world shortly before of Diana seated beside Elton John at the funeral of Versace. Those photographs have a haunting quality about them now given that Diana, pictured in black mourning Versace's death would soon herself be taken, along with another of the high profile guests that day who would not outlive her by long, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

The funeral of Gianni Versace is reported to have reunited the Princess of Wales & Elton John in their grief after some previous falling out. The poignant photographs of that day illustrate their fondness for one another. Elton John sang The Lord is My Shepherd together with Sting at Versace's funeral and he was requested to sing at Diana's funeral by one of her sisters. The song he sang that day at the saddest of sad funerals was Candle in The Wind (1997.

The original Candle in The Wind was born in 1973. It was an Elton John composition with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. The orginal song was a dedication to Marilyn Monroe, and a very beautiful one at that. Candle in The Wind was on the Yellow Brick Road Album. It was a huge hit for Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Most Elton John fans of the era would put it in their top 3 Elton John songs of all time, and if not, close to it.

The lyrics to the original song of 1973, a tribute to Marilyn Monroe are as follows.

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 as more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe

This song worked very well in that the lyrics were well set to the music or was it the other way around. In any event, the music highlights the appropriate sections of the song and it is a dramatic and moving piece of popular music. The deliberate use of Marliyn's name at both ends of the song, her real name 'Norma Jean Baker'at the beginning and her stage name "Marilyn Monroe" at the end of the song give this song it's emotional punch. The use of the name at beginning and end also simulate what happened in her own life, that is, beginning as Norma Jean and ending as somebody else completely, Marilyn Monroe.

In Candle in the Wind (1997) the lyrics are completely reworked and the revised song made a tribute to the late Dianna, Princess of Wales upon her sudden and tragic demise. There are however a couple of interesting similarities connecting the two versions of Candle In The Wind. Both versions were written for Marilyn and then Diana after their deaths. Both were written as a tribute to lost public icons if you like. Both Dianna and Marilyn died aged just 36. In the original 1973 version, Bernie Taupin wrote "though the press still hounded you". There were similarities therefore between both women in that their lives were made more than uncomfortable by the intrusion of the press. Despite the controversy surrounding Diana's death in 1997 and the part that the press were said to have had in that, Bernie Taupin elected to omit a reference to the press in the reworked Candle in The Wind.

The lyrics to Candle in The Wind (1997), music by Elton John & lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

Goodbye England's rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
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 set 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

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England's greenest hills
Your candle's burned our long before
Your legend ever will

Goodbye England's rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
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

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And you footsteps will always fall here
Along England's greenest hills
Your candle's burned out long before
Your legend ever will

There is some lovely imagery in the reworked version of Candle In The Wind. Diana is referred to as "England's Rose". "Now you belong to Heaven and the stars spell out your name" & "and your footsteps will always fall here along England's greenest hills" are beautiful lines. The remnant of the orginal version "Your candle's burned out long before your legend ever will" is retained and personally I think that somehow this detracts from the piece, despite the obvious link to the title & the fact that it is symbolically correct.

The orginal song was purpose written as a tribute to the late Marilyn Monroe. It seems to me, (and this of course is my person opinion here), not quite right to take some of that classic song to the much adored Marilyn and mix it with fresh tribute lyrics to Diana in order to create a song befitting England's tragic Princess. I would have preferred a complete revamp of the lyrics rather than the 73/97 mix for that reason and also because I believe that the lyrics for the 97 version do not sit really comfortably with the music as was the case with the original "Candle In The Wind". This is probably because it would have been difficult for the lyricist fitting into the framework instead of being able to be completely creatively free to produce an original lyric which would flow from start to finish.

Having made that small criticism, this is a song which has universal appeal because of the common love for Diana and the popular melody. It must have been tough to come up with a musical tribute to Dianna in less than a week after her sudden death,especially given that Elton John was himself grief stricken. It was a wonderful gesture and Diana I think would have loved it, & would have been overjoyed that Elton sang it for her with such love. Diana was practical and sincere in her desire to help others and the royalties from this biggest selling single of all time, "Candle In The Wind (1997) have gone to the The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund which would please her immensely.The second song on the CD (Something About The Way You Look Tonight" a pleasant enough track, is not the focus of this review).

There was not a dry eye in the house when Elton John, now (Sir Elton),sang this song at the funeral of Diana on Saturday September 6, 1997. People wept openly, both those present, the thousands of people outside and the millions watching the telecast around the world. We felt for him and wondered if he would be able to get through the performance but of course he did and Candle In The Wind (1997) was given it's public airing. The demand for the single after this performance defied expectation and record stores took wait list orders to satisfy demand.

This single will remain a collector's item. It commemorates an historic event in England's history and will remain forever a link between the present, the memory of Diana and that oh so sad day.