The original version of Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” was about Marilyn Monroe. John composed the music and Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics for the song, which appeared on the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and was released as a single in 1974.
The opening reference to “Norma Jean” points to Monroe’s birth name, Norma Jeane Mortenson. Taupin used Monroe as a portrait of fame, vulnerability, and a life cut short, rather than writing a literal biography of the actress. Monroe died in 1962 at age 36, eleven years before the song was written.
Many listeners associate “Candle in the Wind” with Diana, Princess of Wales, because John recorded a substantially rewritten version after her death in 1997. That version, often called “Candle in the Wind 1997” or “Goodbye England’s Rose,” was a tribute to Diana; it should not be confused with the original Monroe-focused song. The original single reached number 11 in the United Kingdom.