Did You Know About ” If I Can Dream” Song
Elvis experienced a career resurgence with the hopeful and uplifting song “If I Can Dream” after spending most of the 1960s recording soundtracks for the movies in which he appeared. This song held particular significance as it marked his return to the stage during the 1968 NBC comeback special in the USA, his first live performance in seven years. Interestingly, it was created on short notice by the show’s musical director, W. Earl Brown, at the request of producer Steve Binder. This impromptu creation replaced “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and was a response to the recent assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, two renowned dreamers.
Notably, in both the UK and the US, “If I Can Dream” became Elvis’ most significant chart success since “Love Letters” in 1966. In 2007, as part of a series of Elvis song re-releases in the UK, the song re-entered the charts at #17.
A memorable performance of this song featured a projection of Elvis alongside Celine Dion during the 2007 season finale of American Idol. The use of footage from Elvis’ 1968 comeback special was seamlessly integrated onto the Idol stage, creating a powerful effect.
In a unique rendition, former football player and manager Terry Venables recorded a cover of this song for a Sun newspaper advertisement tied to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The performance featured a 60-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, along with football figures Harry Redknapp and Ian Wright, and was filmed at Wembley Stadium. Released as a single, it reached the Top 30 of the UK singles chart, with all proceeds benefiting the Help For Heroes appeal.
Priscilla Presley revealed at a forum with Ron Onesti in 2017 that “If I Can Dream” and “An American Trilogy” are her two favorite Elvis songs.
In a contemporary twist, the Italian band Måneskin covered this song for the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic, Elvis. The band members shared their enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing the song’s timeless message of unity, peace, freedom, and happiness, which felt especially relevant in the current context. They expressed their pride in their contribution and their anticipation of its impact.
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Lyrics Song
“If I Can Dream”
(from “Elvis (NBC TV Special)” soundtrack)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?There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away all 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 gonna come somehow
Out there in the dark, there’s a beckoning candle
And while I can think,
While I can talk
While I can stand,
While I can walk
While I can dream,
Please let my dream come true… right now
Let it come true right now
Oh, yeah