Elvis Presley‘s “If I Can Dream” isn’t just a stunning song. It’s a stunning song that changed the entire arc of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s career. In retrospect, Priscilla Presley called the song “a blessing.”
Elvis Presley’s ‘Bossa Nova Baby’ and ‘If I Can Dream’ bookended a bad era
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Elvis’ “Bossa Nova Baby” is not one of his most famous songs today. It should be more remembered today because its release was a serious demarcation point in his career. The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits says it reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. Afterward, Elvis wouldn’t have a top 10 single for five-and-a-half years, save for a cover of the religious song “Crying in the Chapel.”
“If I Can Dream” gave Elvis new momentum. Walter Earl Brown, a member of the group The Skylarks, wrote the song for the ’68 Comeback Special because the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll wanted to end the special with a meaningful song. Mission accomplished! “If I Can Dream” went on to become one of the most spectacular returns to form in pop music history.
Why Elvis Presley’s song is so moving
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Elvis’ power ballads could get corny at times. “If I Can Dream,” on the other hand, is a masterful example of the subgenre. It expresses a universal emotion — a longing for a better world — through one of the most evocative voices in the entire history of popular music.
“If I Can Dream” works even better because of its allusions to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. King inspired numerous other musical tributes, including Dion DiMucci’s “Abraham, Martin and John” and U2’s “MLK.” None of those other songs compare to the longing and emotion of “If I Can Dream.” The tune must have struck a chord with American audiences at a time when the public was mourning following the assassinations of King, Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. The track also could have been interpreted as a response to the ongoing violence in Vietnam.
Priscilla Presley put ‘If I Can Dream’ into its context
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While the tune touches on political subjects, Priscilla didn’t see it that way. During a 2018 interview with Billboard, Priscilla discussed her husband’s politics. “Elvis was for peace,” he said. “He didn’t understand this whole thing with Vietnam. But he didn’t get involved in politics. It was the one thing you didn’t do: an entertainer was to entertain.”
In her 1985 book Elvis and Me, Priscilla also discussed the ’68 Comeback Special and “If I Can Dream.” “Elvis’ Singer [Corporation] TV special was a huge success, the highest-rated special of the year, and his finale, ‘If I Can Dream,’ was his first million-selling record in years,” she wrote. “We sat around the TV watching the show, nervously anticipating the response. Elvis was quiet and tense through the whole program, but as soon as the calls started, we all knew he had a new triumph. He hadn’t lost his touch. He was still the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was a blessing for both of us.”
After years of flop singles and terrible movies, Elvis proved that he was as talented as ever — and that he could handle heavy subjects.
