[edit] Career
At a young age, he was interested in music but his primary interest was athletics. He purchased a guitar at the age of 12 and although he learned to play it, most of his time was devoted to sport. This eventually resulted in being offered a baseball scholarship to the University of Idaho at Moscow.
King later returned to Shreveport and joined the Louisiana Hayride, a popular TV and radio show broadcast in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, produced in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Louisiana Hayride ranked second only to the Grand Ole Opry in terms of television and radio importance in the early 1950s to the 1960s and King was frequently billed on the same shows with other famous legends such as Elvis Presley, John Ritter's father, Tex Ritter, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells, Jimmie Davis, Slim Whitman, Faron Young, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, George Jones and Lefty Frizzell, among many others who became big music stars in the 1960s.
King recorded a few songs for Gotham Records, although none were successful. In 1961, he became more serious about a musical career and signed with the Nashville, Tennessee division of Columbia Records. He struck immediately, cutting "Big River, Big Man", a country Top 10 and even a small pop crossover success. He soon followed with "The Comancheros" inspired by the movie of the same title, starring John Wayne. It was a Top 10 country hit in late 1961, also crossing over to the pop charts.
King made his "career" recording in the spring of 1962. "Wolverton Mountain", written with Nashville veteran Merle Kilgore, was based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, who lived on Wolverton Mountain in Arkansas. The song became an immediate hit, going to No.1 for nine weeks during its 26-week run on the Billboard Country charts. It was also a pop Top 10.
King followed up that year with an American Civil War song, "The Burning Of Atlanta" which also went Top 10 on the country charts and again generated a lot of interest on the pop lists. In late 1962, he recorded "I've Got The World By The Tail" which narrowly missed the country Top 10.
He had another good year in 1963, scoring three solid country hits with "Sheepskin Valley", "Building a Bridge" and "Hey Lucille!". The hits continued in 1964 with "Sam Hill" and in 1965 he was back in the Top 10 with "Tiger Woman", co-written by Merle Kilgore. King also did well that year with "Little Buddy". His smooth country style continued to find a flavor throughout the decade, especially songs like "Catch a Little Raindrop" and the Top 10 "All For The Love Of A Girl" in 1969. His singles continued to hit the country charts through 1972. He left the label in 1973 after having accomplished 29 hits.
Besides a successful career recording and touring, King also performed as an actor in several movies, and like his nephew, Chris Aable, King is also among a minority of actors who are members in both the Screen Actors Guild and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He appeared in the 1982 television miniseries The Blue and the Gray and appeared in several feature films. King is no relation to another actor by the same name, born in 1875 in England.
In 1981, Arkansas Governor Frank D. White paid tribute to King and his big 1962 hit by declaring August 7 "Wolverton Mountain Day". By that time, King had almost retired from recording.
After being absent from recording for over 20 years, King recently released a new CD called Cowboy in the White House. Most of the songs were written or co-written by him. Elvis Presley's guitarist, James Burton performed guitar for the release.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_King"
Help Me Make It Through the Night
Claude King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shake it loose and let it fall
Layin' soft upon my skin
Like the shadows on the wall
Come and lay down by my side
Till the early mornin' light
All I'm takin' is your time
I don't care who's right or wrong
I don't try to understand
Let the devil take tomorrow
Lord tonight I need a friend
Yesterday is dead and gone
And tomorrow's out of sight
And it's sad to be alone
The song “Help Me Make It Through the Night” by Claude King is a classic ballad that speaks of a desperate need for companionship and comfort. The first verse urges the listener to let down their guard and give in to the moment. The mention of laying down and the ribbon falling across the singer’s skin is an intimate image that speaks of sensuality and vulnerability. The shadows on the wall give a sense of secrecy and subterfuge, as if the two of them are hidden away from the world.
The chorus acts like a plea for comfort, asking their companion to stay with them until the morning light. The singer’s desperation is clear as they ask for their companion’s time, as if nothing else will do to keep them going. It’s a need that most people can relate to in some way, as we’ve all had moments where the only thing that can make things feel better is the presence of another person.
The second verse continues in this same vein, with the singer confessing that they don’t care about right and wrong. They just want someone to help them through the night, and they’re willing to put aside any concerns about morality or judgment to get it. The refrain is repeated, driving home the idea that this need for connection is powerful and all-consuming. The final line speaks of loneliness, which only makes the call for companionship all the more poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the ribbon from your hair
Remove the ribbon from your hair
Shake it loose and let it fall
Let your hair down and fall freely
Layin' soft upon my skin
The touch of your hair is silky and gentle against my skin
Like the shadows on the wall
Just like how the shadows on the wall blend into the dark, your hair soothes me
Come and lay down by my side
Come lay next to me
Till the early mornin' light
Stay with me until morning
All I'm takin' is your time
I only ask for your company
Help me make it through the night
Stay by me to make it through this dark night
I don't care who's right or wrong
I am indifferent towards who is right or wrong
I don't try to understand
I don't attempt to understand it all
Let the devil take tomorrow
Regarding tomorrow, let the devil handle that
Lord tonight I need a friend
Lord, I need a friend tonight
Yesterday is dead and gone
The past is behind us
And tomorrow's out of sight
The future is not yet clear
And it's sad to be alone
It's a mournful feeling to be alone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandra Durham
This is a beautiful version of this good old song. Thanks for posting.
BestClassicCountryMusic
Thanks so much Sandra D...glad you enjoyed Claude’s oldies.....appreciate you...Off on weekends back Monday...thanks again for listening and sharing...have a wonderful weekend with yours....Dan
Sandra Durham
@BestClassicCountryMusic Thanks Dan, you enjoy your weekend too.