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From Sexy to Silly: Ray Stevens’ Parody Cover of “Help Me Make It Through the Night”

From Sexy to Silly: Ray Stevens' Parody Cover of "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

In 1990, iconic country singer Ray Stevens released one of the best parody covers of the classic hit song “Help Me Make It Through the Night” as part of his album Lend Me Your Ears. The song was originally released by Kris Kristofferson in 1970. 

Composed by Kris himself, it instantly became a hit because of its rather venereal meaning. Because of this, many country singers have released their version of the song. Among them were Sammi Smith in 1970, Tammy Wynette, Elvis Presley, and many more. However, Ray Stevens’ version definitely stands out from the others. 

Ray Stevens Parody Cover

Renowned as one of the best comedic performers of his time, Ray Stevens has already built a reputation for making great parody covers like “The Streak” and “Too Drunk To Fish.” His distinct style of narrating stories in a funny way makes the whole listening experience more enjoyable. 

In this particular cover, instead of going for that melodramatic tune, Ray sang it faster and more energetically. 

He also added some adlib sound effects to make it even funnier to listen to. He somehow made history by transforming a slow, sensual song into a novelty that no one had ever heard before.

Aside from that, his overall humor during the filming of the music video was also something to look forward to. He even dressed as a chicken, a little girl, and many other characters to make the cover worthy of being included in the world’s best country parody. 

So, if you haven’t checked out Ray Stevens’ parody cover of “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” you can watch his full performance below. 

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