Download    If you’ve never heard Elvis do this song it’s worth the effort to find it online.  Elvis was deeply affected by the assassination of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 and this piece was written  in honor of King’s “I Had a Dream” speech.

Elvis was doing a ’68 Comeback Special after having been off the concert circuit for 7 years.  During that time he was concentrating on music for his movies and trying his best to “act”.  Walter Earl Brown was the musical director for the show and was asked to write a song to replace “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” as the finale for the show.  It was to incorporate Presley’s concern and sorrow over the  deaths of King and Kennedy and should include some quotes from King’s speeches.  Elvis loved the piece and proclaimed that “he would never sing another song he didn’t believe in”.  He may have abandoned that philosophy four years later when he sang “a hunk, a hunk of burning love”, but…hey… a man’s gotta eat.

Although “If I Can Dream” is not really a gospel tune, the emotion and intensity of gospel music is definitely there.  This one is not really suited for performing in a club venue, but if you do any church work or special concerts, this is worth working up.  The midi backing tracks are on the Pop/Rock and Sacred/Gospel lists.