Song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Originally recorded by Elton John on his album ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’. The song was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 1962, 11 years before the release of the song. 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 glamorize death, how we immortalize people.”
Kate Bush recorded a cover version of this song for the B-side of her 1991 single Rocket Man (which was a cover of an Elton John song as well).
Versions
There are two versions of ‘Candle In The Wind’: the vocal version and the instrumental version.
Lyrics
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 a 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
The 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
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
Well I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
The candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
Goodbye Norma Jean
From the young man in the 22nd row
Who sees you as something as more than sexual
More than just Marilyn Monroe
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
Well I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
The candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Goodbye Norma Jean
Goodbye Norma Jean
Goodbye
Goodbye Norma Jean