What does Candle in the Wind mean?

Elton John: Candle in the Wind Meaning

Album cover for Candle in the Wind album cover

Song Released: 1974


Candle in the Wind Lyrics

Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Aug 25th 2007 !⃝

    This is obviously about Marilyn Monroe. It's about how she was treated and stuff. This song was later re-written in honor of princess Diana, when she died in 1997. Elton John performed this re-edited version at her funeral.

  2. kooljohn176
    click a star to vote
    Aug 24th 2018 !⃝

    A memorial sad song, though made lamentfully beautiful by the voice of Sir. Elton John about the gradual ''lost innocence'' of Norma Jean after her name changed and becoming our ''shinning darling'' of the American movie culture. Made into a sex symbol ''labeled'' with abnormal bimbo qualaties by Hollywood. By which she really wasn't at all, but just our beautiful Marilyn Monroe. Where her ''candle in the wind'' as Norma Jean burned out way before the legend of Marilyn Monroe ever did. With whom the demons of this world began to endulge themselves on her magnetic God given beauty and inner goodness of her soul that always shined on us innocently. Unfortunately also attracting the demon influence of the revolutionary radical left wing crypto/catholic mob of vampires in that time. That fed themselves psychologically and demonically on her golden beauty of her innocence, like vampires out for blood. Until there was almost nothing of herself to give to us anymore. Even with her religious conversion to Judaism, hoping that change might strengthen her love for Art and marriage, but proabably just weakend her once Christian values and beliefs to be ''saved'' by. Which instead only prepared her to be sadly and ''symbolically sacrificied'' by our blood thirsty demons of this world. So, like the song goes Goodbye Norma Jean and may your soul always rest in the peace of our God's heavenly kingdom of Heaven from where your soul once came down for us to see and experience the innocence of You, truly and honestly all through the metamorphisis of MM.

  3. anonymous
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    Sep 12th 2016 !⃝

    It is a song about norma jean the real name of marilyn monroe whose life was similar to the other actresses in her time and her life was like elizabeth short the black dahlia marilyn monroe didn't like her fake persona she wanted people to love norma but hollywood wanted marilyn monroe and marilyn monroe never had been friends with elton john bcause elton john was a little boy when they would've met but I wished I would've met her.

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 27th 2011 !⃝

    It's about how he wanted the world to realize how vulnerable she was, not as a sex object because she lived a very breif, very public life and she was a sex object during her life.

  5. anonymous
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    Oct 8th 2011 !⃝

    elton means that even though marylin died but some people learnt something the time she was alive "those around you crowed,out of the woodwork.

  6. anonymous
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    Sep 23rd 2011 !⃝

    "Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did." I think it's about how he felt that her life was stolen from her before he wanted it to. I don't know. I'm not good at this type of stuff.

  7. anonymous
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    Sep 21st 2011 !⃝

    It seems like they were really close friends and Elton John wanted to have the listener feel sad. The verse, "I would have liked to know you, but I just a kid" I think it's a metaphor for the longing for simpler times and the lost innocent - ness of a child.

  8. anonymous
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    Apr 17th 2011 !⃝

    It is about Marilyn Monroe.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Mar 16th 2011 !⃝

    Of how easy it is to be minipulated into something you're not.


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