A very sad thing happened when Princess Diana died. Not many people embody what we should all aspire to be, but I think she was one of those people who really was worth emulating. She did make a difference in the world, and she did so without expecting anything in return: there aren't many people who can honestly make such a claim. It's amazing how someone you barely know can touch you inside. Diana did touch many people around the world as evidenced by the grief shown around the globe. In Westminster Abbey, a building which witnessed the coronation of William The Conqueror nearly a millennium ago, Elton John sang a sad, heartfelt song and brought nearly three billion people to tears, a song that contributed to his knighthood in early 1998. To borrow a cliche, read it, listen, and weep.

Ode To Diana (Goodbye England's Rose)
Candle In The Wind 1997
Music: "Candle In The Wind" Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Lyrics: "Ode To Diana" Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Peformed By: Elton John
(Click to buy at Amazon)

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 name.

And it seems to me you lived your life, like a candle in the wind:
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 before 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 child.
Even though we try, the truth brings us to tears;
All our words cannot express the joy you brought us through the years.

And it seems to me you lived your life, like a candle in the wind:
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 before your legend ever will.

Goodbye, England's Rose; may you ever grow in our hearts.
You were the grace that placed itself, where lives were torn apart.

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.

And it seems to me you lived your life, like a candle in the wind:
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 before your legend ever will.

In a brief sidenote, here's a link to another Diana tribute song from Australia.