Behind the Meaning of the Song that Reinvented Elvis Presley’s Career, “If I Can Dream”

Before 1968, Elvis Presley was most known for his era-defining, yet blithe hits. The iconic rocker rarely explored weighty topics, like politics. When he made his big comeback in ’68 with a now-famed TV special, Presley decided to try something a little more consequential for size. The result was “If I Can Dream.”

[RELATED: They Changed Music: 5 Iconic Classic Rock Performances from The Ed Sullivan Show]

Behind the Meaning

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

The ’60s were a volatile time for America. The songwriter behind this gospel-tinged song, Walter Earl Brown, was inspired by one of the most shocking moments of the era: Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The song was recorded just a few months after King’s murder. It seems Brown was moved to make nods to the civil rights hero with this track.

The lyrics bear a resemblance to King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Given that this song intends to be a message of hope amid injustice, the connection is apt.

Presley performed this song on his “’68 Comeback Special.” His fervor for the material was readily apparent as he passionately sang through the lyrics:

Deep 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, oh, right now

It’s a relatively short song, but it packs a punch. Presley sings about dreaming of a better time and place where all my brothers walk hand in hand. It was exactly the right message the public needed to hear. Even an icon like Presley was mourning the loss of King Jr. and all that he represented.

It had a unifying effect. All of Presley’s music has a way of bringing people together, but instead of prompting dance parties or hysterical rock shows, this track roused a newfound sense of hope.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images