2. Elton John - Candle In The Wind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoOhnrjdYOc Written by: Elton John with Bernie Taupin; released in 1974, and then again in 1997 with re-written lyrics. Who it's about: Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, though it was later rewritten to describe Diana, Princess of Wales. If you don't know what to listen for, the original version of this song could be written about any tragic starlet. However, there are several clues that make it quite evident that the subject of Sir Elton's mega-hit is Marilyn Monroe. In fact, the very first lyric gives it away: "Goodbye, Norma Jean". Though the iconic actress and sex symbol found fame under the name Marilyn Monroe, she was born Norma Jeane Mortensen. Other lyrics of the song describe the struggles Monroe endured to achieve her stardom, as well as Sir Elton's fascination with her, and the chorus speaks of her tragically short life and subsequent veneration as an icon: "The candle burned out long before your legend ever did." More recently, the song became well known as a tribute to England's Princess Diana, performed by Sir Elton himself at her funeral. The majority of the lyrics were altered to describe her life and death, rather than that of Monroe: for example, rather than bidding farewell to Norma Jean, the opening line reads "Goodbye, England's Rose." However, the final line of the chorus remains mostly unchanged: "Your candle's burned out long before your legend ever will."