My buddy Erin Davis wrote an interesting blog entry about Baby, It's Cold Outside, a song you'll hear often at this time of year. Baby, It's Cold Outside isn't a Christmas song, but a "cold weather" song, and since it's so good, it gets lumped in with holiday favourites like White Christmas and Silver Bells.
Erin commented on the pushback that Baby, It's Cold Outside is a little "date-rapey". After all, the songstress says "I simply must go, the answer is no" yet her pursuer persists with the charm and continues to pour the alcohol. Today, it's less "no means no" and more "only an explicit sober yes means yes".
The tune is fantastic and, as these seasonal songs go, this is one of the best. Everyone has a favourite version (mine is Ray Charles and Betty Carter from 1961).
When it comes to music, it's best we don't over-analyze the lyrics. I'm not offended by the lyrics of Baby, It's Cold Outside any more than I'm offended by the use of the slur "faggot" in my favourite Christmas song of all-time. If we were to only listen to music with 100% safe and politically correct lyrics, we'd be left with a whole lot of Kenny G.
Oh, but baby it’s cold outside.
