Origin of Jenkins Stage Name--------- Jenkins felt that his real name wasn't marketable, and he changed his show business name in 1957. (Harold Lloyd Jenkins would always remain his legal name, however). Looking at a road map, he spotted Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. Thus, he went with the professional name of "Conway Twitty".[citation needed]
Alternatively, Jenkins met a Richmond, VA, man named W. Conway Twitty Jr. through Jenkins' manager in a New York City restaurant. The manager served in the army with the real Conway Twitty. Later, the manager suggested to Jenkins that he take the name as his stage name because it had a ring to it. The Richmond Conway Twitty subsequently recorded the song, "What's in a Name But Trouble," in the mid-1960s, lamenting the loss of his name to Jenkins. The flip side of the 45 RPM record was "The Purple, Purple People Eater, Eater." (The more well known version of Purple People Eater, however, now having sold over 100,000,000 copies, was recorded by Sheb Wooley.)
Help Me Make It Through the Night
Conway Twitty Lyrics
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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
In the song "Help Me Make It Through The Night," Conway Twitty is asking his lover to be with him during the night. He requests that she loosen her hair and lay next to him. The ribbon is a metaphor for the various societal restrictions placed upon them both. By freeing her hair from its ribbon, she symbolically frees herself from her inhibitions and joins Conway in his desire.
He further pleads with her to stay with him until morning. During this time, all he requests is her time. His request can be taken as either sexual or romantic, depending on the listener's interpretation.
Twitty acknowledges that he doesn't care who is right or wrong in their relationship. He doesn't try to understand their dynamic, and instead accepts it for what it is. The lyrics "let the devil take tomorrow" implies that he doesn't know what the future holds for them; he just wants to enjoy the present moment with her.
The song expresses Twitty's sadness at the thought of being alone. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is uncertain. All he has is tonight and his lover. He begs her to help him make it through the night, implying that he cannot do it without her.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the ribbon from your hair
Remove the hair ribbon you are wearing
Shake it loose and let it fall
Shake and loosen your hair ribbon and let it drop
Layin' soft upon my skin
Let the hair ribbon fall on my skin gently
Like the shadows on the wall
It feels pleasant and soft like the shadows on the wall
Come and lay down by my side
Come and lie down next to me
Till the early mornin' light
Stay with me until morning comes
All I'm takin' is your time
I am not taking anything other than your time
Help me make it through the night
Assist me to make it through the night
I don't care who's right or wrong
I am not concerned with who is correct or incorrect
I don't try to understand
I am not attempting to comprehend
Let the devil take tomorrow
Let the bad things happen tomorrow
Lord tonight I need a friend
Tonight I require someone to confide in
Yesterday is dead and gone
The past is over, and it is gone forever
And tomorrow's out of sight
The future is uncertain and unknown
And it's sad to be alone
It is a sorrowful experience to be on my own
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruby Hobock
Depend on God he will bring us both out of this feeling that we have for each other it will take a while will eventually forget just trust in God