The non-gospel gospel song “If I Can Dream” was based almost entirely upon the famous Martin Luther King Jr quote, “I Have a Dream”, and the connection is obvious throughout the track. The first line of each verse provides insight into the coming lines and the issue Elvis wishes to discuss. For instance, Verse 2 opens with this line:
There must be peace and understanding sometime
For contrast, this is one of MLK’s “dreams”:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
The song was written by Walter Earl Brown, and when Elvis heard it, he announced “I’m never going to sing another song I don’t believe in. I’m never going to make another picture I don’t believe in”. However, and despite Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker saying “This ain’t Elvis' kind of song”, he performed it, and during the recording, Brown noted that one of the backup singers had begun crying, claiming “Elvis has never sung with so much emotion before. He means every word”.