Elvis’ Half Decade-Old Hit Is Heartbreakingly Relevant For Today
Aug 20, 2020
Back in 1968, Elvis launched a spectacular comeback and surprised the world with a performance that was more intense than anything that had come before. His emotional performance of If I Can Dream was especially relevant at the time as the nation had been shaken by riots related to institutionalized racism. As racism is still something we're dealing with today, Elvis' emotional song remains as relevant as it was in the 60s.
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video :-)
The music industry can really be divided into before Elvis and after Elvis. He was that big and famous. But even he went through ups and downs in his career. At one point, in 1968, he felt like he had to relaunch his career with a televised comeback special. Elvis was a very seasoned performer at that time. However, he knew that there was a lot riding on the special. For a big star who rarely had stage fright, he was very nervous. Even his drummer, D.J. Fontana, noticed it at the time, as quoted by Rolling Stone:
"Elvis was hardly ever nervous – but he was then [...] We played a couple of songs, and it got loose after a while, and it turned out fine. He just had been out of the public eye for a long time."
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Another issue was the tumult at the time. 1967 and 1968 were difficult years for American culture. The nation had been shaken by riots related to institutionalized racism. Martin Luther King had been killed in April of that year, and Bobby Kennedy in June. Elvis' special aired only a few months after Kennedy's death.
One thing was clear: Elvis wanted to make a statement to help heal the nation, and with his emotional performance of If I Can Dream, he did.
In the song, Elvis sings about brotherhood, walking together, coming together. His performance is so intense and heartfelt that even his band felt it. The song's writer, Walter Earl Brown, is quoted as saying that when Elvis recorded the song, Brown saw tears rolling down the cheeks of the backing vocalists. One of them said to him:
"Elvis has never sung with so much emotion before. Looks like he means every word."
Elvis had a tremendous gift, and he wanted to use it for good. This song from the special is such a testament to his singing skills and his big heart.
Did this song touch your heart? Let us know how it made you feel and be sure to pass this article along to others to let them see this beautiful performance for themselves!