It’s a bit weird, but DMG page 24 (though I'm talking 2014 here) specifies that generally an unwilling soul can’t be forced back into the body. So unless a spell specifies otherwise, this would not work.

Because of how this spell is worded, assuming the Lich got killed at least once while being a Lich means he'll be unable to be targeted by this either way because he was undead when he died.