Bernie Taupin cannot remember the new lyrics he wrote for his and Elton John’s Candle In The Wind when it was performed as a tribute to Princess Diana.
The legendary songwriter rewrote the lyrics to Candle In The Wind for Elton’s performance at his friend Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. Diana died in August 1997 in a Paris car crash at the age of 36.
Bernie completed the emotional tribute in a hurry and admits he would struggle to recite the words today, despite the single becoming one of the biggest-selling records in history.
Speaking to MOJO magazine, Bernie said: “I don’t want to sound cold or cruel, but it’s not something I intended to do.”
Recalling how the tribute came about, he explained: “Elton called and said they were asking him to sing at the memorial or funeral. I said, Do you want me to write a new song? I can’t remember who said it, but it became, what about rewriting the lyrics to Candle In The Wind?”
He added: “All I remember is I did it really quickly. To this day, if you ask me to recite one of the lyrics, I’d not be able to if you held a gun to my head.”
The original Candle In The Wind appeared on Elton’s 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and was written as a tribute to Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962 aged 36. The single was released in 1974.
However, Bernie revealed that another late actor, Montgomery Clift, had initially inspired the song.
He said: “I was never a fan of Marilyn Monroe. I’d originally written the story of Montgomery Clift.”
The lyricist explained that he had been fascinated by the way celebrities who die young are remembered by the public.
Following the song’s release, fans began sending him Marilyn memorabilia, while Sharon Osbourne gave him a pair of the actress’s shoes.
Elton also presented him with a dress form once used to make Marilyn’s outfits, housed in an elaborate purple display case.
The 1997 reworking subsequently became the UK’s best-selling single, cementing its place in music history.
Bernie also reflected on his early friendship with Elton, recalling how they shared a bedroom at the singer’s mother’s house in Pinner while pursuing their songwriting ambitions.
He said: “When Elton and I realised that we had something going on with the songwriting, it just made sense to move in together. Thankfully his mother acquiesced to it.”
The pair’s creative partnership would go on to produce some of pop music’s most enduring hits. Bernie’s latest solo album, The Sea Has No Mercy, is out now via Vertigo/MCA Nashville.