Help Me Make It Through the Night

Smith's recording of the song remains the most commercially successful, and best-known, version in the United States. Her recording ranks among the most successful country singles of all time in terms of sales, popularity, and radio airplay. It topped the country singles chart, and was also a crossover hit, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop singles chart. "Help Me Make It Through The Night" also became Smith's signature song. In 1975, the title appeared in the lyrics of Paul Anka's "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone."

Inspired by Smith's success with the song, numerous other artists covered it soon thereafter, including Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Glen Campbell, Dottie West, Joan Baez, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Joey Sontz, Mariah Carey, Ray Stevens, Willie Nelson and, strangely, ten-year-old Lena Zavaroni.

Other artists who have recorded charting versions of the song include Gladys Knight & the Pips, John Holt, and (in French) Claude Varade. The Michael Bublé version features American singer Loren Allred.

Kristofferson said that he got the inspiration for the song from an Esquire Magazine interview with Frank Sinatra. When asked what he believed in, Frank replied, "Booze, broads, or a bible...whatever helps me make it through the night."

During his time as a struggling songwriter, Kristofferson wrote and composed the song while staying with Dottie West and her husband, Bill, at their home on Shy's Hill Road in Nashville's Green Hills neighborhood. When he offered West the song, she originally claimed it was "too suggestive" for her. Eventually, she would record it before the year was out, and it is included on her album Careless Hands. However, by then, several others had recorded and released versions of it, some garnering great success. Later on, West said that not recording "Help Me Make It Through The Night" when Kristofferson originally offered it to her was one of the greatest regrets of her career; though her version charted, it was not as successful as Smith's version had been.

Kristofferson's original lyrics speak of a man's yearning for sexual intimacy. They were controversial in 1971 when the song was first covered by a woman, Sammi Smith in that case: "I don't care what's right or wrong, I don't try to understand / Let the devil take tomorrow, Lord tonight I need a friend."

In 1971, Joe Simon hit #69 on the Hot 100 and #13 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.

In 1972, a version by Gladys Knight & the Pips reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and was a Top 10 pop hit in the United Kingdom.

In 1974, John Holt included the song on his album 1000 Volts of Holt. That year, his recording of the song made it into the UK Top Ten.

In 1975, the French Canadian singer Claude Valade recorded a French version of the song, "Aide-moi à passer la nuit," produced and distributed by London Deram Records. The French-language lyrics were written by Canadian singer-songwriter Christine Charbonneau. The song made its way to fame and was on the charts (3rd place) for more than six months.[13]

In 2007, it was recorded for a second time in French, with Annie Blanchard recording it on the Musicor Records label, and the song made the Top 20 for 26 weeks, reaching a high of #6.[14]

In 1972, John Huston used Kristofferson's version as the theme for his feature Fat City. It plays under the title credits, with instrumental arrangements later in the movie.

In 1978, Kristofferson made a guest appearance on the television series The Muppet Show; on that episode, he performed "Help Me Make It Through the Night" as a duet with a besotted Miss Piggy.

In the 1997 film The Ice Storm, the Sammi Smith recording plays in the background in one of the key party scenes.

In 2013, American Idol contestant Kree Harrison sang this song during season 12 on "Songs They Wish They Had Written" week.

In 2015, DeAnna Johnson covered this song on The Voice.

• Allmusic review
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics