3. Elton John Sang “Candle in the Wind” in Memory of Princess Diana, But it was Originally About Marilyn Monroe
Some of you out there may have heard that Elton John wrote “Candle in the Wind” in honor of Princess Diana, since he sang it at her funeral in 1997. Well, that’s not quite right. Originally, the song was written for Marilyn Monroe, but he rewrote the same song to fit Princess Diana. The lyrics begin “Goodbye, England’s Rose,” instead of “Goodbye, Norma Jean.” This song became the largest selling single in 1997, and it played on the radio throughout the world, making the Marilyn Monroe version practically forgotten, unless you were a music nerd.
Princess Diana was actually friends with Elton John. The single sold 9 million copies. Instead of keeping the money, Elton John honored her memory by donating it all to the Dianna Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. During an interview with Oprah, Elton said that during the funeral, he had to stay professional and composed to get through the song. But when he got home and watched back the tape, he broke down in tears. He swore to never sing the Princess Diana version live again, because it’s far too painful.