Help Me Make It Through The Night
Elvis Presley & The Imperials Quartet Lyrics

The song, Help Me Make It Through the Night by Elvis Presley, speaks to the longing of a man for female companionship, for someone to keep him company through the night. The singer calls on his lover to take off the ribbon from her hair and shake it loose, perhaps a symbolic act of letting go of societal expectations or inhibitions. The ribbon then lays soft upon his skin, like the shadows on the wall. He invites her to lay down by his side till the early morning light, seeking comfort and intimacy in her presence.

The lyrics highlight a sense of desperation and loneliness in the singer's plea for help making it through the night. He acknowledges the futility of trying to understand or assign blame, and instead chooses to live in the moment, blocking out thoughts of the uncertain future ahead. He recognizes that yesterday is dead and gone, and tomorrow is out of sight, and so the present moment, and the comfort of his lover's presence, is all he has to cling onto. The use of the word 'friend' in the final line of the chorus stands out, as if the singer is seeking companionship more than anything else.