Help Top Ten: Help Me Make It Through the Night (#8)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86575)
United States
March 26, 2022 10:44am CST
Sometimes you have to decide if the side effects are worth the benefits. When it comes to prednisone, I have to say no. I slept rather well last night on Tylenol and some Biofreeze. Whatever helps. Speaking of help, here’s another song with “help” in the title. Y’all probably saw this one coming, too.
#8: Help Me Make It Through the Night - Sammi Smith
(No, JJ, be patient.)
The story goes that Kris Kristofferson (who has a ton of stories attached to him, the most infamous of which is landing a helicopter on Johnny Cash’s lawn to pitch “Sunday Morning Coming Down” to him) read a quote from Frank Sinatra. Ol’ Blue Eyes was asked where his faith was, and he gave an only-Sinatra reply: “booze, broads, or a Bible, whatever helps me make it through the night.”
Sammi Smith covered this song and became an overnight sensation. The song was the CMA song of the year and made the pop top ten. And yes, Smith did have other hits in the 70s. She passed away in 2005 from emphysema.
It’s just another one of those great songs from the pen of Kristofferson.
Help Me Make It Through the Night
Written by Kris Kristofferson
Recorded by Sammi Smith
From Help Me Make It Through the Night, 1970
I don’t care what’s right or wrong:
RewardsTop suggestions for Help me make it through the night sammiHelp Me Make It through the NightOriginalHelp Me Make It through the NightSammi SmithHelp Me Make It through the NightTop suggestions for Help me make it through the night sammiHelp Me Make
9 people like this
10 responses
@LindaOHio (222288)
• United States
27 Mar 22
This is not the version that I remember; but I most certainly do know this song.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
27 Mar 22
That’s progress! 
As with many songs, it’s been covered a blue billion times, so there are multiple choices of the version you do remember.
As with many songs, it’s been covered a blue billion times, so there are multiple choices of the version you do remember.1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
27 Mar 22
@LindaOHio — no, the Beatles were history by 1970.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222288)
• United States
27 Mar 22
@FourWalls Did the Beatles record this song? Or another version?
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
27 Mar 22
Well, he was working at a janitor at a recording studio and he was told he’d be fired if he pitched any songs while on the job there. They never stipulated that he couldn’t go get a helicopter, though.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
26 Mar 22
I can say this about a lot of songwriters: Kristofferson is a genius songwriter but his voice kinda sucks.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
26 Mar 22
I love, love this song. I mostly sing Gospel music, but this was a favorite karaoke song to sing on a cruise ship.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
27 Mar 22
This is a pretty easy song to play on guitar, and I had a friend sing it at a trivia party way back when (I think 2000 or so).
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
27 Mar 22
Tell me about it. You could see that without an attribution and say, “Sounds like Frank Sinatra to me.” 
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Mar 22
Never heard this version but I think I have heard all the rest. Even Elvis had his and when I heard that I said just tell me where and when
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
5 Apr 22
Kris wrote a beautiful one here! Bobby McGee would enjoy this one, lol. I also liked Willie Nelson's version. He had a #4 Country hit with this song in 1980.
1 person likes this
