Candle In The Wind

Candle In The Wind

1. Elton John´s biography of and his most famous songs

March 25, 1947 in Pinner, England
original name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight
at the age of 14, Reginald Dwight (Elton) and his friend Stuart Brown formed a band called the Corvettes, named after a brand of shaving cream. The band was never very serious and soon broke up.
1963, he got together with Stuart Brown once again and formed Bluesology, a moderately successful band
on the Valentines Day 1985 he married Renate Blauel in Sydney who he met first in 1982
Elton was the first western pop star who started a tour through Russia.
Elton's first #1 hit in the United States was "Crocodile Rock" in 1972. Elton's first #1 hit in the United Kingdom was "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"in 1976. His first solo hit was "Sacrifice" in 1990.
The albums "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975) and "Rock of the Westies" (1975) both hit #1 in the US on the very day of their release.

2. Candle In The Wind: The song

over 21 millions sold singles
one of the most often sold singles (3rd place at the moment)
profits from sales of the single Candle In The Wind will be donated (lat. donare) to Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

2.1. Style and Rhyth

style: plainness ß one instrument, one person singing, background function of the piano

rhyth: sad, emotional, slow

2.2. Stylistic devices in the song

Here are some stylistic devices which are used in the song Candle In The Wind:

1 the stars spell out your name: personification of ”stars”
² like a candle in the wind: comparison
³ your candle´s burned out long before: symbol
4 for our nation's golden child: paraphrase

Goodbye England's Rose

May you ever grow in our hearts. You were the grace that placed itself Where lives were torn apart. You called out to our country, And you whispered to those in pain. Now you belong to heaven, And the stars spell out your name1. And it seems to me you lived your life Like a candle in the wind²: Never fading with the sunset When the rain set in. And your footsteps will always fall here, Along England's greenest hills; Your candle's burned out long before³ Your legend ever will. Loveliness we've lost; These empty days without your smile. This torch we'll always carry For our nation's golden child4. And even though we try, The truth brings us to tears; All our words cannot express The joy you brought us through the years. Goodbye England's Rose, From a country lost without your soul, Who'll miss the wings of your compassion More than you'll ever know

Candle In The Wind

Tribute To Princess Diana from

Elton John

1. Biography of Elton John and his most famous songs

Reginald Kenneth Dwight, the original name of Elton John, was on March 25, 1947 in Pinner, England.

Elton's mother Sheila used to encourage him to mess around on the piano when he was little to keep him busy. At the age of 4, he picked out the tune to Skater's Waltz, surprising everyone. At the age of 14, Reg Dwight and his friend Stuart Brown formed a band called the Corvettes, named after a brand of shaving cream. The band was never very serious and soon broke up. When he was 16, he got together with Stuart Brown once again and formed Bluesology, a moderately successful band. Elton stayed within this band until he went solo. Elton named himself after Elton Dean and Long John Baldry, two other members of Bluesology.

Elton John met Renate Blauel in 1982 at the studio where he was recording ”Too Low for Zero”. On 10, 1984, he proposed to her, and they were married on Valentines Day in Sydney.

Most famous songs:

Elton's first #1 hit in the United States was ”Crocodile Rock” CASSETTE in 1972. Elton's first #1 hit in the United Kingdom was ”Don't Go Breaking My Heart” CASSETTE in 1976. His first solo hit was ”Sacrifice” CASSETTE in 1990. The albums ”Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” (1975) and ”Rock of the Westies” (1975) both hit #1 in the US on the very day of their release.

Elton was the first western pop star who stared a tour through Russia.

2. Candle In The Wind: The song

Why did Elton John write this song for his friend Princess Diana although the Queen of England didn't want that? The princess' children asked him personally to sing her favourite song Candle in the Wind which was first written for Marilyn Monroe by Elton John. So he decided to sing that song at her last ceremony in Westminster Abby.

The single Candle in the Wind is sold at about 21 millions times. So it has become to one of the best sold CD´s. Elton John decided not to keep the profit of selling it, but to give it to Diana´s organisation Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

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2.1. Style and Rhyth

The song is characterised by plainness because there is only one instrument used in the song, also there is only one person singing. By the way the piano plays only a background function, so that the text is to the fore of the song and is easily understandable and everyone can think about it.

It has a very slow and sad rhyth so that the song became the emotional high spot of the ceremony.

2.2. Stylistic devices in the song

Here are some stylistic devices which are used in the song Candle In The Wind:

1 the stars spell out your name: personification of ”stars”
² like a candle in the wind: comparison for how she lived her live. This means she had a short live because candles go out easily in the wind
³ your candle´s burned out long before: candles are a symbol for Diana´s life
4 for our nation's golden child: golden child stands for the person Diana, this is a paraphrase (Umschreibung)

Vocabulary

to encourage
to mess about
high spot
to be to the fore
a paraphrase
plainness
grace
to tear apart
to whisper
pain
to fade
sunset
footstep
loveliness
torch
joy
wings
compassion
ex.: You should encourage her in order to become a doctor
doing things slowly with no plan
the best or the most important part
ex.: to paraphrase a word = to give a def.
Song: Candle in the Wind
to be in s.o.´s grace = he likes you
to pull apart or into pieces by force
the opposite of speaking loudly
if you break you leg you feel great pain
to disappear
the time when the sun disappears and the night begins
a person´s step
a very beautiful person is a ~
ex.: The Olympic torch is carried by runners to the place where the games is held
great happiness
ex.: Birds have ~ in order to be able to fly.
ex.: She showed great ~ for the sick children.
ermutigen, anregen
herumalbern
Höhepunkt (einer Veranstaltung)
im Vordergrund stehen
Umschreiben
Einfachheit
Gunst
völlig durcheinanderbringen
flüstern
Schmerz
Verschwinden
Sonnenuntergang
Fußstapfen
Schönheit
Fackel
Freude
Flügel
Mitleid