Help Me Make It Through The Night

This country classic was written by the songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson, who released the original version on his debut album, Kristofferson, in 1970. He was sweeping floors and emptying ashtrays at Columbia Records in Nashville before scoring big with "Help Me Make It Through The Night," as well as a series of other songs, including "Me And Bobby McGee" (a #1 hit and an enduring rock classic for the late Janis Joplin), "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "For the Good Times," and "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)." Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer, a Phi Beta Kappa college graduate, and a Rhodes Scholar who spent time at Oxford University in England before becoming a commercial helicopter pilot. But his first love was country songwriting. He turned down a teaching position at West Point to work as a janitor at Columbia, trying to break into the music business. Break in he did indeed, but it took some persistence and theatrics. For example, he landed a helicopter in Johnny Cash's yard to get the famous singer's attention so he could hand over some demo tapes of his original songs. Persistence and unconventional tactics paid off handsomely for the multi-talented Kristofferson.

Kristofferson got the idea for this song after reading an Esquire interview with Frank Sinatra. When asked what he believed in, Frank replied, "I'm for anything that gets you through the night."

The song tells the story of an impending tryst that might be scandalous - perhaps one of them is married. But the singer just needs to make it through the night and isn't worried about the consequences. Sammi Smith kept the spirit of the song but changed the perspective from Kristofferson's original, starting with the line, "Take the ribbon from my hair" instead of "Take the ribbon from your hair."