About The Song
– “If I Can Dream” is a song made famous by Elvis Presley, written by Walter Earl Brown for the singer and nJr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. The song was published by Elvis Presley’s music publishing company Gladys Music. It was recorded by Presley in June 1968, just two months after King’s assassination. The recording was first released to the public as the finale of Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special.
– Knowing about Presley’s fondness for Martin Luther King Jr., and about his devastation related to his then-recent assassination in Memphis, Brown wrote “If I Can Dream” with Presley in mind. After Presley heard the demo, he proclaimed: “I’m never going to sing another song I otable for its similarities with Martin Luther King don’t believe in. I’m never going to make another movie I don’t believe in”.
– After Colonel Tom Parker heard the demo of the song sent by Earl Brown, he said: “This ain’t Elvis’ kind of song.” Elvis was also there, and he countered Parker’s argument, then he pleaded: “Let me give it a shot, man.” Earl Brown said while Elvis recorded the song, he saw tears rolling down the cheeks of the backing vocalists. One of them whispered to him: “Elvis never sung with so much emotion. Looks like he means every word.”
– After filming for the TV special was complete with its eventual editing, the song was released as a single with “Edge of Reality” as the flip side on 22 November 1968, with the TV special airing 11 days later. It charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 3 months and a week, peaking at #12, with more than one million sales
Video
Lyric
There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
If I can dream of a better land
Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Tell me why, oh why, oh why can’t my dream come true?Oh, why?
There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won’t that sun appear?We’re lost in a cloud with too much rain
We’re trapped in a world that’s troubled with pain
But as long as a man has the strength to dream
He can redeem his soul and flyDeep in my heart there’s a trembling question
Still I am sure that the answer’s answer’s gonna come somehow
Out there in the dark, there’s a beckoning candle, yeah
And while I can think
While I can talk
While I can stand
While I can walk
While I can dream
Oh, please let my dream come true… right now
Let it come true right now
Oh, yeah