Candle in the Wind 1997

Elton John. "Candle in the Wind 1997." Rocket 31436-8108.

"Candle in the Wind 1997" took only 37 days from its release to become the biggest-selling single recording of all time. Bernie Taupin, who knocked off the lyrics in less than an hour long distance-at "home" on his California horse ranch-molding them to fit an old Elton John tune, could not believe the pop phenomenon the two of them had wrought. "If I'd known how big it was going to be," he told an interviewer, "I would certainly have taken a lot more time with it." But then, more time taken might well have doomed the effort. Raw emotion is sometimes best captured in immediacy. Connection, not calculation, is the coin of this realm-and what propelled "Candle" into the pop consciousness of the world.

What follow are twin reviews of the song-one British, one American; together they help tease out the social implications of this single. George H. Lewis University of the Pacific

Elton John. "Candle in the Wind 1997": A British View

The events of the week following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, were culturally complex. The grieving process was very public and genuinely intense. Initially blame was directed at both the press and the Royal family but, as the press attempted to divert attention toward the palace, many began to openly criticize the Royal family over their inability to acknowledge Diana in the way the public felt most appropriate. The ideal of suitable and appropriate tribute to Diana was something the country sustained throughout the mourning.

Amidst this mix of emotion and circumstance, Bernie Taupin and Elton John conceived their tribute to Diana. Taupin's lyrics work on two levels. They represent loss, appreciation, and an acknowledgement of the connection Diana made with the public. However, there is also subtle representation of feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction directed at the Royal family concerning their handling of Diana before, and after, her divorce. In recent years there has been a growing unease with the palace's uncompromising and dated attitudes that often clashed with Diana's attractive, contemporary image.

John's inclusion in the funeral service was unusual at best, but the presence of a truly "popular" figure at this state occasion had enormous cultural significance. In...