History Main / CelebrityElegy

SubTrope of a GriefSong and InMemoriam. Compare to a Main/{{Biopic}}, which is a movie or play about a celebrity (though they could be either living and deceased when the movie was made), and an EpicPoem, which may celebrate deceased celebrities (like Achilles and Hector in ''Literature/TheIliad'') but is much longer than a typical poem or song. Compare also to {{Celebrity Breakup Song}}s, which are about the end of celebrity relationships rather than their lives.

''They've all found [[CelebritiesHangOutInHeaven another place]], another place to play''
-->-- '''The Righteous Brothers''', "Rock 'n' Roll Heaven"

** Music/RedHotChiliPeppers "Tearjerker"
** {{Music/Cold}} "The Day Seattle Died," which was also about [[Music/AliceInChains Layne Staley]]
** {{Music/Cher}}, oddly enough with "The Fall (Kurt's Blues)"

* Music/RingoStarr wrote "Never Without You" about his fellow Beatle Music/GeorgeHarrison.

* In the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' of ''Literature/TheBible'', David writes a song mourning the battle deaths of [[AlasPoorVillain King Saul]] and Jonathan, his best friend.

** "[[Music/GoodbyeYellowBrickRoad Candle in the Wind]]" by Music/EltonJohn was originally about Monroe, and then after [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Princess Diana]] died in an automobile accident, John (or actually, Bernie Taupin) rewrote the lyrics and re-dedicated the song to her.

''Remember [[Music/JimMorrison Jim]] that way''\\
''They've all found another place, another place to play''

* "Shiny" from ''Disney/{{Moana}}'' is a Main/{{Pastiche}} of Music/DavidBowie and was intended in part to honor the recently deceased singer.

A song or poem mourning the death--and often celebrating the accomplishments--of a deceased celebrity. The person often died under tragic circumstances, including murder, drug overdose, car/plane accident, or an incurable disease. The elegy may portray the person as TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth and may be invoked by DeadArtistsAreBetter.

SubTrope of a GriefSong and InMemoriam. Compare to a Main/{{Biopic}}, which is a movie or play about a celebrity (though they could be either living and deceased when the movie was made), and an EpicPoem, which may celebrate deceased celebrities (like Achilles and Hector in ''Literature/TheIliad'') but is much longer than a typical poem or song.

A song or poem mourning the death--and often celebrating the accomplishments--of a deceased celebrity. The person often died under tragic circumstances, including murder, drug overdose, car/plane accident, or an incurable disease. The elegy may portray the person as TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth.

* Music/DavidBowie's passing inspired a some songs:

* "From the Stars" by Music/RedVox is about lead singer [[WebVideo/{{Vinesauce}} Vinny's]] reaction to Music/DavidBowie's death.

** "Moonlight Shadow" by Music/MikeOldfield is often [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlight_Shadow#Lyrical_content mistakenly assumed to be about]] Lennon, but WordOfGod says that the lyrics were inspired by the 1956 film ''Film/{{Houdini}}''.

* "Abraham, Martin and John" by Dion is about UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln, UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, and UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, written following King's assassination. Before the song was released, UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy [[TraumaCongaLine was also assassinated]], so Dion added a final verse about him as well, in which he sees Bobby walking over the hill with [[TitleDrop Abraham, Martin and John]].

* "50,000" by Music/{{Sting}} is about all the beloved musicians who passed away in 2015 and 2016, particularly Music/DavidBowie, [[Music/{{Eagles}} Glenn Frey]], [[Music/{{Motorhead}} Lemmy]], and Music/{{Prince}}.
* Music/KurtCobain had several:
** Music/NeilYoung wrote "Sleeps with Angels" after being affected by Cobain quoting Young in his suicide note.
** {{Music/REM}} "Let Me In," which was recorded with Cobain's guitar.
** Music/RedHotChiliPeppers "Tearjerker"
** {{Music/Cold}} "The Day Seattle Died," which was also about [[Music/AliceInChains Layne Staley]]
** {{Music/Cher}}, oddly enough with "The Fall (Kurt's Blues)"

[[AC:Film]]
* "See You Again" by Music/CharliePuth was re-purposed as this for the ''Film/FuriousSeven'' soundtrack and dedicated to Paul Walker following his death, with Music/WizKhalifa providing new lyrics.

[[AC:Literature]]
* In ''[[Literature/SnarkoutBoys The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror]]'', the poet Jonathan Quicksilver writes a poem mourning the untimely death of Creator/JamesDean.

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': "5,000 Candles in the Wind (Bye Bye Li'l Sebastian)" is an AffectionateParody written by Andy Dwyer about Pawnee's greatest celebrity: [[CoolHorse a pony]].
-->'''Leslie Knope''': Andy, I need you to write a memorial song. Something like "[[Music/EltonJohn Candle in]] [[Music/GoodbyeYellowBrickRoad the Wind]]," only 5,000 times better.

[[AC:Poetry]]

[[AC:Religion and Mythology]]
* In the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' of ''Literature/TheBible'', David writes a song mourning the battle deaths of [[AlasPoorVillain King Saul]] and Jonathan, David's best friend.

[[AC:Western Animation]]
* "Shiny" from ''Disney/{{Moana}}'' is a Main/{{Pastiche}} of Music/DavidBowie and was intended in part to honor the recently deceased singer.

[[caption-width-right:350:Music/EltonJohn performing "Candle in the Wind", dedicated first to Creator/MarilynMonroe, and then [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Princess Diana]]]]

->''[[Music/JimiHendrix Jimi]] gave us rainbows''
->''And [[Music/JanisJoplin Janis]] took a piece of our hearts''
->''And [[Music/OtisRedding Otis]] brought us all to the dock of a bay''
->''Sing a song to light my fire''
->''Remember [[Music/JimMorrison Jim]] that way''
->''They've all found another place, another place to play''

** "Moonlight Shadow" by Music/MikeOldfield is often [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlight_Shadow#Lyrical_content mistakenly assumed to be about]] Lennon, but WordOfGod says that the lyrics were inspired from the 1956 film ''Film/{{Houdini}}''.

* Music/JohnLennon has inspired several song's following his assassination:

*

** "Candle in the Wind" by Music/EltonJohn was originally about Monroe, and then after [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Princess Diana]] died in an automobile accident, John (or actually, Bernie Taupin) rewrote the lyrics and re-dedicated the song to her.

* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': "5,000 Candles in the Wind (Bye Bye Li'l Sebastian)" is an AffectionateParody about Pawnee's greatest celebrity: [[CoolHorse a pony]].

* "Shiny" from ''Disney/{{Moana}}'' is a Main/{{Pastiche}} of Music/DavidBowie and was intended in part to honor the recently deceased singer.

[[AC:Western Animation]]

SubTrope of a GriefSong and InMemoriam. Compare to a Main/{{Biopic}}, which is a movie or play about a celebrity (though they could be either living and deceased when the movie was made), and an EpicPoem, which may celebrate deceased celebrities (like Achilles and Hector ''Literature/TheIliad'') but is much longer than a typical poem or song.

* "Candle in the Wind" by Music/EltonJohn was originally about Creator/MarilynMonroe, and then after [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Princess Diana]] died in an automobile accident, John rewrote the lyrics and re-dedicated the song to her.

* "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Music/{{Bauhaus}} [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is about]] Creator/BelaLugosi's death, and "She's In Parties" is about Creator/MarilynMonroe.

* "Shiny" from ''Disney/{{Moana}}'' is in part a eulogy for Music/DavidBowie.

* In the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' of ''Literature/TheBible'', David writes a song mourning the battle deaths of [[AlasPoorVillain King Saul]] and Jonathan, David's best friend.