View source for Candle in the Wind

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{{About|the original version dedicated to Marilyn Monroe| the re-written and re-recorded version as a tribute to [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]|Candle in the Wind 1997|other uses|Candle in the Wind (disambiguation)}}
{{Refimprove|date=August 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox single
| Name        = Candle in the Wind
| Artist      = [[Elton John]]
| Cover       = Elton John - Candle in the Wind (1986).jpg
| Caption     = Cover of the 1986–87 live version
| Album       = [[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]
| B-side      = "[[Bennie and the Jets]]"
| Released    = 4 February 1974
| Recorded    = May 1973 at [[Château d'Hérouville]], France
| Format      = [[Gramophone record|Vinyl record]] {{small|(7")}}
| Genre       = 
| Length      = 3:50
| Label       = {{hlist|[[MCA Records|MCA]]|[[DJM Records|DJM]]}}
| Writer      = {{hlist|[[Elton John]]|[[Bernie Taupin]]}}
| Producer    = [[Gus Dudgeon]]
| Last single = "[[Step into Christmas]]"<br />(1973)
| Next single = "[[Bennie and the Jets]]"<br />(1974)
| This single = "'''Candle in the Wind'''"<br />(1974)
| Misc   = {{Extra track listing
| Album  = [[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]
| Type   = single
| Tracks = ;Side One
#"[[Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding]]"
#"'''Candle in the Wind'''"
#"[[Bennie and the Jets]]"
;Side Two
#"[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song)|Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]"
#"This Song Has No Title"
#"Grey Seal"
#"Jamaica Jerk-Off"
#"I've Seen That Movie Too"
;Side Three
#"Sweet Painted Lady"
#"The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)"
#"Dirty Little Girl"
#"All the Girls Love Alice"
;Side Four
#"Your Sister Can't Twist (but She Can Rock 'n' Roll)"
#"[[Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting]]"
#"Roy Rogers"
#"Social Disease"
#"[[Harmony (Elton John song)|Harmony]]"
}}
}}

"'''Candle in the Wind'''" is a [[threnody]] with music and lyrics by [[Elton John]] and [[Bernie Taupin]]. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of [[Marilyn Monroe]],<ref>{{cite news|author=Ben Brantley|title=Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Painted in Words|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2004/10/11/theater/reviews/11fini.html|date=11 October 2004|accessdate=29 July 2012}}</ref> who had died 11 years earlier.

In 1997, John performed a [[Candle in the Wind 1997|rewritten version]] of the song as a tribute to [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]. [[Candle in the Wind 1997|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, officially being listed as [[List of best-selling singles|the second best-selling single of all time]], behind [[Bing Crosby]]'s "[[White Christmas (song)|White Christmas]]".

==Original version==
The original version in the key of E major appeared on John's 1973 album ''[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]'' recorded in May 1973 and released in 1974. The lyrics of the song are a sympathetic portrayal of the life of [[Marilyn Monroe]]. (The song's opening line "Goodbye, Norma Jean" refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (more commonly spelled Jean) Baker.) In the Eagle Vision documentary on the making of ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'', Taupin said the song is about "the idea of fame or youth or somebody being cut short in the prime of their life. The song could have been about [[James Dean]], it could have been about [[Montgomery Clift]], it could have been about [[Jim Morrison]] ... how we glamorise death, how we immortalise people." The single release of the original song reached No. 11 in the UK 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 #347 on ''Rolling Stone'''s list of [[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]. On the other hand, composer [[Gruff Rhys]] called it the worst song he had ever heard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/music-magazine/music-amp-me-gruff-rhys-2295929.html|title=Music & Me: Gruff Rhys|date=10 June 2011|website=[[The Independent]]|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref>

During a concert on 7 April 1990, at [[Farm Aid#List of concerts|Farm Aid IV]], John dedicated the song to [[Ryan White]], who had been suffering from [[AIDS]]. White died from AIDS complications the next day.

===Personnel===
* [[Elton John]] – piano, vocals
* [[Davey Johnstone]] – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* [[Dee Murray]] – bass, backing vocals
* [[Nigel Olsson]] – drums, backing vocals

==1986 live version==
On 14 December 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 number five on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number six on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].

===Accolades===
;Grammy Awards
{{Awards table}}
|-
|  style="width:35px; text-align:center;" |[[30th Annual Grammy Awards|1988]] || | "Candle in the Wind (live 1986)" || [[Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance#Recipients|Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male]]<ref name="Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male">{{cite web|url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/grammy/popsolo.htm|title=Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male|publisher=rockonthenet.com|accessdate=13 July 2015}}</ref> || {{nom}}
|-
{{End}}

==1997 version==
{{Main article|Candle in the Wind 1997}}
"Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" is a re-recording 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 World Records|Guinness Book of Records]]'' in 2007 stated that "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the biggest-selling single "since records began", but that [[Bing Crosby]]'s "[[White Christmas (song)|White Christmas]]" has sold the most copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bing-crosby-introduces-quotwhite-christmasquot-to-the-world |title=This Day in History: Dec 25, 1941: Bing Crosby introduces 'White Christmas' to the world |publisher=[[History.com]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102023120/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bing-crosby-introduces-quotwhite-christmasquot-to-the-world |archivedate=2012-11-02}}</ref> The record of this version was produced by [[George Martin]].

==2003 acoustic remix==
Using the same vocal take as the original 1973 recording, engineer [[Greg Penny]] stripped away all instrumentation except [[Davey Johnstone]]'s acoustic guitar. Even the double-tracking of the lead vocal was removed, leaving Elton and the original backing vocal arrangement of [[Dee Murray]], [[Nigel Olsson]] and Davey Johnstone. The remix first appeared as a bonus track on the 30th Anniversary edition of ''[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]'' and subsequently on the 2003 EP ''Remixed''.

==Cover versions==
*English folk singer [[Sandy Denny]] recorded a cover version for her 1977 [[Rendezvous (Sandy Denny album)|''Rendezvous'' album]].
*In 1989, [[The Shadows]] did an instrumental of the song on their album ''Steppin' to the Shadows''.
*English punk band [[Leatherface (band)|Leatherface]] recorded a cover version for their second album ''[[Fill Your Boots]]'' in 1990
*In 1991 [[David Tyler (radio personality)|David Tyler]] covered the song on [[CKBE-FM]].
*English alternative singer [[Kate Bush]] recorded a cover version for her 1991 "[[Rocket Man (song)#Kate Bush version|Rocket Man]]" single.
*[[Billy Joel]] performed a cover version during the Elton John and Billy Joel [[Face to Face 1994]] concert.
*New Zealand singer [[Wing (singer)|Wing]] covered the song on her 2009 album ''Beat It''.
*In 2014, English [[singer-songwriter]] [[Ed Sheeran]] recorded a cover version for the 40th Anniversary "Super Deluxe" Edition of ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.idolator.com/7512281/ed-sheeran-elton-john-candle-in-the-wind-cover |title=Ed Sheeran Covers Elton John’s "Candle In The Wind": Listen To His Faithful Version |author=Wass, Mike |date=31 March 2014 |website=[[Idolator (website)|Idolator]] |publisher=SpinMedia |accessdate=23 August 2014}}</ref>
*In 2014, Israeli French singer [[Amir Haddad]] recorded a version with an additional music video of the song launched in June 2014. Earlier the same year, he had used the song for his blind audition in [[The Voice: la plus belle voix (season 3)|season 3]] of the French television series ''[[The Voice: la plus belle voix]]''<ref name=tj>[http://www.tribunejuive.info/television/amir-haddad-chercher-sa-voix ''Tribune Juive'': Amir Haddad : chercher sa voix] {{fr icon}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4478443,00.html Ynet: הישראלי עמיר חדד ב-"The Voice" צרפת] {{he icon}}</ref> broadcast on [[TF1]] with all four coaches, [[Garou (singer)|Garou]], [[Mika (singer)|Mika]], [[Jenifer (singer)|Jenifer]] and [[Florent Pagny]] turning their chairs during his audition. Haddad chose to be part of Team Jenifer and finished third overall for the season.

==Popular culture==
*In 2011, a song called "5,000 Candles In The Wind" was featured in the season 3 finale of the show ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'', titled "[[Li'l Sebastian]]". It was played by [[Chris Pratt]]'s character [[Andy Dwyer]] in a tribute concert for Li'l Sebastian, a recently deceased miniature horse beloved by the people of [[Pawnee (Parks and Recreation)|Pawnee]]. The song was written by Dwyer after [[Leslie Knope]] ([[Amy Poehler]]) asked him to write a song that would be "Something like 'Candle In The Wind'... But 5,000 times better". The song was also played at the unity concert in the season 6 finale of the show.
*"Candle in the Wind" is mentioned in the ''[[BoJack Horseman]]'' episode "Still Broken" by one of the show's main characters, Princess Carolyn (voiced by [[Amy Sedaris]]), who states "You know when someone dies, everyone wants to buy their shit?...You don't think Elton John was raking it in when [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Diana]] died? More like "Candle in the Windfall." Cha–ching!"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
Lyrics of the original version:
* {{MetroLyrics song|elton-john|candle-in-the-wind}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
and of the 1997 version:
* {{MetroLyrics song|elton-john|candle-in-the-wind-1997}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
{{Elton John songs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Candle in the Wind}}
[[Category:1974 singles]]
[[Category:1987 singles]]
[[Category:Elton John songs]]
[[Category:Songs in memory of deceased persons]]
[[Category:Songs with music by Elton John]]
[[Category:Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin]]
[[Category:Songs about Marilyn Monroe]]
[[Category:1970s ballads]]
[[Category:Songs inspired by deaths]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Gus Dudgeon]]
[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:DJM Records singles]]
[[Category:MCA Records singles]]