Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American sin… Read Full Bio ↴Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age.

Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

If I Can Dream
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line 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

There must be peace and understanding sometime

Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear

We're lost in a cloud
With too much rain
We're trapped in a world
That's troubled with pain
But as long as a man
Has the strength to dream
He can redeem his soul and fly

Deep in my heart there's a trembling question
Still I am sure that the answer, 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
Right now

Let it come true right now
Oh yeah

Overall Meaning

The song "If I Can Dream" by Elvis Presley is all about the desire to see a better world, a world where we all live together in peace and love. The song reflects on the current state of the world and the pain and suffering that exists. Elvis is calling for a change, for hope, and for people to come together, to support and love one another. In the lines "There must be lights burning brighter somewhere, got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue," Elvis is expressing his belief in the possibility of a brighter future, one with peace and serenity, and not the chaos and conflict that exists now. He's hoping for a world where all his brothers and sisters walk hand in hand.

The lyrics reveal that Elvis is aware of the pain and suffering in the world, but he's refusing to be defeated by it. He's convinced that there's a way out of this spiral of darkness and despair. He sings "We're lost in a cloud with too much rain, we're trapped in a world that's troubled with pain, but as long as a man has the strength to dream, he can redeem his soul and fly." Here, He's telling us not to let go of our dreams and that there's always hope, despite the current circumstances.

The singer is convinced that his dream will come true, and he's calling out for people to share in his belief. He pleads "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."

Overall, "If I Can Dream" is a song about hope and the power of dreams. It's a reminder that, despite the brokenness and chaos, there's always a reason to hope and keep dreaming of a better world.

Line by Line Meaning

There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
I believe that there are better places, and brighter futures yet to be discovered.

Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
The world must be full of beauty, grace, and majesty beyond what we know today.

If I can dream of a better land
If only I can envision a more hopeful reality,

Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Where all of humanity can walk together in unity and solidarity,

Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true
Why can’t this dream of a better world be realized? Why is it so hard to achieve this better reality?

There must be peace and understanding sometime
I am convinced that one day, we can attain world peace and full understanding with one another.

Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear
Our dreams will be driven by the winds of hope that will dispel all doubts and fears about the future.

If I can dream of a warmer sun
If only I can imagine a future filled with warmth and hope,

Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Where hope is ubiquitous, and everyone enjoys its light,

Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear
Why can’t we achieve this radiant future which is filled with hope and warmth?

We're lost in a cloud
Humanity is currently stuck in a kind of fog, where everything is uncertain and sometimes scary.

With too much rain
We face many difficulties and challenges on our journey to find a better future.

We're trapped in a world
It can sometimes feel like our current situation is inescapable and unchangeable.

That's troubled with pain
Our world is fraught with hurt and suffering, and it can seem never-ending.

But as long as a man
But—despite all this—so long as humans are still capable of dreaming, imagining and hoping,

Has the strength to dream
as long as someone is still capable of dreaming,

He can redeem his soul and fly
then there is still a chance to turn things around, and move towards a better, brighter future. We can all 'fly' and can better ourselves in the process.

Deep in my heart there's a trembling question
I have a question that stems deep in my heart, one that is hard to articulate or ask, but that is there nonetheless.

Still I am sure that the answer, answer's gonna come somehow
Despite this trepidation, I remain convinced that the answer will come to me/ us somehow, eventually.

Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle, yeah
Even though it may feel as though we are in a dark, unknown place, there is yet a glimmer of hope from far-off that beckons us to keep moving towards a better future.

And while I can think, while I can talk
As long as Ii still have the ability to communicate and have thoughts,

While I can stand, while I can walk
As long as I am still mobile and standing,

While I can dream
As long as I still have my imagination and my dreams,

Oh, please let my dream
I implore the universe—please, let me have this dream

Come true
and let it become a reality.

Right now
May it become true urgently and immediately

Let it come true right now
may my dream become true right away

Oh yeah
Yes, it should happen. It's necessary.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Walter Earl Brown

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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