Candle In The Wind: Elton John's Tribute To Marilyn Monroe And Princess Di

|
Left to right: Princess Diana in 1985; sleeve art for the 1974 45rpm single; Marilyn Monroe in 'Some Like It Hot.' Sources: Wikimedia Commons; discogs.com; IMDB

What did Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana have in common? Apart from Elton John's "Candle In The Wind," nothing -- Monroe was a celebrity sex symbol whose life was full of scandal, and Princess Diana was an elegant, though unhappy, member of England’s royal family. But there is that song -- the mournful "Candle In The Wind," composed by John and lyricist Bernie Taupin as a letter to Marilyn Monroe, then rewritten some 24 years later as a farewell to Diana after her death in an automobile crash. Both "Candle In The Wind" and "Candle In The Wind 1997" convey John’s strong empathy and emotional attachment for lives lost much too early.