Who was Candle in the Wind originally about? And no, it’s not Marilyn Monroe!
In a world of streaming, it’s harder and harder for a song to become a truly galvanising, shared experience. Which is why certain songs remain iconic anthems which almost everyone the world over can recite, line for line.
And one of those songs is undoubtedly Candle in the Wind.
The anthemic track from Elton John (with lyrics written by Bernie Taupin) has been released twice – first in 1973 and then, famously, rewritten and rerecorded to commemorate the loss of Princess Diana.
The 1997 version, performed only once for the funeral of Diana, changed the lyrics to focus less on Norma Jeane – the birthname of Marilyn Monroe – and focused on the late Princess who had died in August of the same year.
So the song has focused on two very iconic blondes who captured the hearts and minds of people the world over. However, in what is quite frankly shocking news, the original song was never meant to be about Marilyn – which, in another reality, might have meant that it never would’ve been rewritten for Diana.
But just who was it about?
Well, the prolific writer – who has recently released a memoir - revealed it was about another classic Hollywood star: Montgomery Clift.
Explaining how the song came about, Bernie told Graham Norton, “I liked the title of [Russian author] Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s book, which is a metaphor for a life snuffed out too soon.”
“At the same time, I saw The Misfits and was fascinated by Montgomery Clift who died young. But then I wondered how many people would know who he was.”
He continued, “I didn’t care for Marilyn, [but] people would think her a much more fragile character and more indicative of the “candle in the wind” [metaphor].”
Montgomery Clift starred alongside Marilyn in the movie, The Misfits. While Marilyn’s tragedies are well-known and her legacy remains – with people still fascinated by details like whether her body really went missing after her death – Montgomery Clift wasn’t without his own demons.
A gay man when he would’ve had to remain closeted, Montgomery was often cast as the heartthrob, owing to his classic good looks.
Good friends with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery had what has been referred to as “the longest suicide in Hollywood” after a gory car accident left his face scarred, and with lifelong health complications.
He turned to drink and became depressed – with some speculating his supressed sexuality had a role in his mentality – and ultimately died of a heart attack aged just 45.
While Montgomery’s life most definitely would’ve made a fascinating subject for the track, Bernie shared that he had no regrets for focusing the track on Marilyn.
“I am glad I went with her. Otherwise, history would have been very different.”
Becoming something of an anthem for a beloved figure exploited and hounded to death, the track bore obvious similarities to the demise of Diana. The story has it that, being close to the late Princess, Elton was asked to perform at her funeral.
While they debated writing an original song, they instead rewrote the lyrics to Candle in the Wind. References to Norma Jeane became references to England’s Rose, among other changes.
Despite the thought of the song being performed to a grieving world tuning in for the funeral, Bernie’s rewrite took less than an hour. He shared, “I re-wrote it in half an hour, it wasn’t difficult.”
“I’ve only actually heard [the 1997 version] a couple of times – once at [Diana’s] funeral and once in the studio, so I don’t remember a word of it.”
It was released on 13 September 1997 as a tribute single to Diana, Princess of Wales, with the global proceeds from the song going towards Diana's charities. In many countries. It became the best-selling single in UK chart history and has sold over 33 million copies worldwide.
