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Elton John. "Candle in the Wind 1997": An American View
Bernie Taupin and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997," an elegiac revision of the song originally written about Marilyn Monroe, may have contributed to John's recent knighthood, but the song's American reception gave Americans a musical theme to commemorate a tragic event. In traditional television style, every event (like the Olympics) must have a signature theme. The revised "Candle in the Wind" became that for Princess Diana's death. Though the networks created their own sonorous music to play as they displayed portraits of Diana, it is the revision of a song about a tragic American woman, Norma Jean or Marilyn Monroe, that captured America's heart. The single's importance could be seen in the repeated images of candles and roses on television; some candles and...