Hopeton Lewis is a Jamaican singer.

Lewis began recording in the mid… Read Full Bio ↴Hopeton Lewis is a Jamaican singer.

Lewis began recording in the mid-1960s, and had one of the earliest rocksteady hits with "Take It Easy" in late 1966. He had several more Jamaican hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the first 'herb' song ever recorded in Jamaica, "Cool Collie", worked for Duke Reid as an arranger and backing singer, and won the Festival Song Contest in 1970 with "Boom Shaka Lacka". He began working as a singer with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, and in 1971 had a hit with "Grooving Out On Life". He continued to release records, but his success after the early 1970s was limited.

Since the late 1990s, Lewis has re-emerged as a Gospel singer.

Help Me Make It Through The Night
Hopeton Lewis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take the ribbon from your hair
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

Help me make it through the night

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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Hopeton Lewis is a plea for companionship from someone who doesn't want to be alone. The singer is asking the listener to remove the ribbon from her hair, which is a symbol of her femininity, and let her hair down. The ribbon is laying soft against the singer's skin, just like the shadows on the wall. It seems as though the singer is trying to create a romantic and intimate scenario where she can feel closer to the listener.

The singer then asks the listener to lie down beside her until the early morning light. She's only asking for the listener's time, and through the process of the night, she's hoping that they can make it through whatever is going on. With the line "Help me make it through the night," the singer is making a plea for someone to be there for her during a lonely time. She doesn't care who's right or wrong, and she doesn't try to understand why she's feeling this way. What she wants is just someone to be there for her.

The chorus of the song, "Yesterday is dead and gone, and tomorrow's out of sight, and it's sad to be alone," emphasizes how important it is to have someone there for you. The singer realizes that yesterday cannot be changed, and tomorrow is out of sight, so all that she can do is ask for help in making it through the night. The song is sultry and sad, and the lyrics touch the listener's emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Take the ribbon from your hair
Remove the object of societal pressure that you wear in your hair

Shake it loose and let it fall
Release yourself from the burden of conformity and let your hair down

Layin' soft upon my skin
The physical sensation of your hair on my skin is pleasurable

Like the shadows on the wall
Your hair is casting soft shadows like the ones on the wall

Come and lay down by my side
Join me in bed

Till the early mornin' light
Stay with me until the sun rises

All I'm takin' is your time
I want to spend time with you, nothing else

Help me make it through the night
Your presence is essential for me to survive the night

I don't care who's right or wrong
There is no point in arguing over right and wrong

I don't try to understand
I have given up on trying to comprehend things

Let the devil take tomorrow
I am willing to let the future be uncertain and relinquish my control to fate