I read an article the other day that some radio stations were deciding not to play the song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" because of its date rape-y lyrics. This was interesting to me and since I spent much of my academic career studying Christmas music, I decided to do a deep dive into the song, put it in context and find out when it started to become a popular yuletide tune.
Wait. Before I write my findings, I am not trying to sway anyone's opinion or feeling about the song in any direction.
Frank Loesser wrote the musicals "Guys and Dolls," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside," which won him an Academy Award in 1949. Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban performed the version that won the award in the movie "Neptune's Daughter."
Loesser originally wrote the song as a duet (call and response really) for he and his wife to perform at parties. The song charted 5 times with different artists in 1949 and started showing up on recording artists' records in the early 1950s,
The song does not have any Christmas specific lyrics, but like many others (Let It Snow, Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland), has been incorporated into the season. Dean Martin's "A Winter Romance" album was released in 1959 with "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (sung with Marilyn Maxwell) and though not totally a Christmas themed record there were other yuletide tunes like "Rudolph," and "White Christmas." The album was reissued (and renamed) in 1965. "Holiday Cheer" charted in 1965, 66, 67 and 1968.
The tune showed up again on the Christmas albums of the 1990s and early 2000s. Barry Manilow, Vanessa Williams, Dolly Parton, Brian Setzer and Leon Redbone- just to name a few- sang the duet on their yuletide recordings.
The controversy of the song this season is in the lyrics and the suggestive overtone of the wolf voice. Yes, the voices are referred to mouse and wolf in the score. Anyway, I listened to the 1949 recordings and they definitely do not have the vibe that ol' Dino has in his version. The idea of something being in the drink comes from the taboo of couples who were not married staying the night together. And blaming the alcohol for clouding their judgment. I think of the television show "Mad Men" and how there was a lot of baby, it's cold out there kind of mindset that set the narrative of the main characters. So, it is understandable when the current conversation that is trying to be had is no, means, no that the maybe a not so nuanced coercive tone is frowned upon.
Here is one verse of lyrics. Let us take a look.
The neighbors might think (Baby it's bad out there)
Say what's in this drink? (No cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how (Your eyes are like starlight now)
To break this spell (I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell) (Why thank you)
I ought to say no, no, no sir (Mind if move in closer?)
At least I'm gonna say that I tried (What's the sense of hurtin' my pride?)
I really can't stay (Baby don't hold out)
Baby it's cold outside
At-a-glance looking at the lyrics in this stanza- the mouse voice is passive (shocking) they wonder what is in the drink. One of the arguments I read about banning this song is that the drink has a roofie in it. Putting it in context of the time, blame the alcohol. There is also a bit of layered sexual ideas going with the mouse voice having maybe a conflict with them saying no because that is the "moral" thing to do. I put a question mark on that statement because the moral winning out with "I really can't stay" is followed by the pressure statement of Baby, don't hold out."
Okay. I did. So far all the versions have the "baby, don't hold out" lyric.
There is, however, this version, which a friend turned me on to. A duo from Minnesota re-wrote the lyrics so that the wolf voice is not so pushy. Here is a link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amK4U4pCTB8
I think that modern day recordings can change up some of the lyrics. I don't think that it has to be recited word for word.
Should it be banned? I personally do not have a problem with the tune.
Do I consider this part of the Christmas music canon?
Well...
Wait. Before I write my findings, I am not trying to sway anyone's opinion or feeling about the song in any direction.
Frank Loesser wrote the musicals "Guys and Dolls," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside," which won him an Academy Award in 1949. Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban performed the version that won the award in the movie "Neptune's Daughter."
Loesser originally wrote the song as a duet (call and response really) for he and his wife to perform at parties. The song charted 5 times with different artists in 1949 and started showing up on recording artists' records in the early 1950s,
The song does not have any Christmas specific lyrics, but like many others (Let It Snow, Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland), has been incorporated into the season. Dean Martin's "A Winter Romance" album was released in 1959 with "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (sung with Marilyn Maxwell) and though not totally a Christmas themed record there were other yuletide tunes like "Rudolph," and "White Christmas." The album was reissued (and renamed) in 1965. "Holiday Cheer" charted in 1965, 66, 67 and 1968.
The tune showed up again on the Christmas albums of the 1990s and early 2000s. Barry Manilow, Vanessa Williams, Dolly Parton, Brian Setzer and Leon Redbone- just to name a few- sang the duet on their yuletide recordings.
The controversy of the song this season is in the lyrics and the suggestive overtone of the wolf voice. Yes, the voices are referred to mouse and wolf in the score. Anyway, I listened to the 1949 recordings and they definitely do not have the vibe that ol' Dino has in his version. The idea of something being in the drink comes from the taboo of couples who were not married staying the night together. And blaming the alcohol for clouding their judgment. I think of the television show "Mad Men" and how there was a lot of baby, it's cold out there kind of mindset that set the narrative of the main characters. So, it is understandable when the current conversation that is trying to be had is no, means, no that the maybe a not so nuanced coercive tone is frowned upon.
Here is one verse of lyrics. Let us take a look.
The neighbors might think (Baby it's bad out there)
Say what's in this drink? (No cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how (Your eyes are like starlight now)
To break this spell (I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell) (Why thank you)
I ought to say no, no, no sir (Mind if move in closer?)
At least I'm gonna say that I tried (What's the sense of hurtin' my pride?)
I really can't stay (Baby don't hold out)
Baby it's cold outside
Okay. I did. So far all the versions have the "baby, don't hold out" lyric.
There is, however, this version, which a friend turned me on to. A duo from Minnesota re-wrote the lyrics so that the wolf voice is not so pushy. Here is a link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amK4U4pCTB8
I think that modern day recordings can change up some of the lyrics. I don't think that it has to be recited word for word.
Should it be banned? I personally do not have a problem with the tune.
Do I consider this part of the Christmas music canon?
Well...
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