Ray Stevens Performs a Parody of the Classic Hit ‘Help me Make it Through the Night’

Ray Stevens just did the unthinkable and performed a comedic version of the raunchy classic hit song by Kris Kristofferson, Help Me Make It Through The Night“. The song is originally a country music ballad and was released on Kris’ 1970 album ‘Kristofferson’. This song first appeared on Steven’s Album ‘Lend Me Your Ears’ (1990) along with his hits such as “Jack Daniels, You Lied To Me Again” and ‘Where Do My Socks Go?”

Ray Stevens as a Performer

Stevens is already known for his comedic performances doing novelty songs such as “The Streak,” “Gitarzan,” and his most recent one “Taylor Swift is Stalkin’ Me.” His style of narrating the stories of these songs is funny plus his take on current pop culture as evidenced by his song about Swift is just pure genius.

You do not necessarily see comedy mixed with country all the time and Ray Stevens made sure that this is the path he is making for himself. In fact, one could say he made a subgenre all by himself with this country comedy set-up.

His song “The Streak” was the No. 1 Novelty Song of the entire decade and was among the Top 10 songs of the year in 1974. This really made him into a standard of country comedy artist of this generation.

He is Mr. Everything

A slow sensual song converted to a novelty is definitely unheard of. But Ray Stevens had the talent, comedic timing, and just the most out-of-the-box way of thinking during his time. He was brilliant in thinking of adding something in the lyrics to make it more humorous as evidenced by this: 

“I don’t know what’s right or wrong (Order in the court!) (I’ll have a cheeseburger!)

I don’t try to understand (Th-th-th that’s easy for you to say!)”

Although he started the song just like how Sammi Smith performed it, he then went south and added the banjo to give it a lil’ bit of the country twang and the sound fits really well just like the ’80s and a ’90s comedy skit.

He played literally everything from the characters presented on his music video. He dressed as a chicken, he played the instruments, he dressed as Satan when the lyrics mentioned the Devil taking tomorrow, he even played as a little girl and a whole lot more characters. He was not afraid of taking risks and making fun of himself by dressing like these characters and that is what you have to admire from him.

He is definitely one of the country artists who really made a mark in the music world.

Check out his parody here: