Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Published December 8th, 2006 in Holidaze.
I was listening a CD I burned with a lot of my holiday favorites on it. Nothing says Christmas like songs from Nat, Deano, Frank, and Bing.
Anyway, I was struck by a few songs that I realized had nothing to do with Christmas, but are considered staples of holiday music. I don’t know why it has only hit me know, but I think that’s the way it is for everyone. You see, every year at Christmas, people listen to the song Baby, It’s Cold Outside - maybe they even sing along with it - and it never dawns on them what this song is really about…
It was originally from a musical comedy called Neptune’s Daughter, sung by Betty Garrett and Red Skelton, and it won the Academy Award for best song. It’s been recorded by about 2 dozen couples but the Bing Crosby version and the Dean Martin version are probably the most recognizable. I think they even used it in that Elf movie with Will Ferrell.
What I love is that one of our Christmas traditions and song that’s on a lot of Christmas music compilations is really a song about a bachelor trying to keep a naive woman, who lives at home with her parents, in his bachelor pad so he can play hide the salami. Never mentions the word Christmas, just references that it’s wintertime.
I’ve got to go home - Oh, baby, you’ll freeze out there
Say, lend me your comb - It’s up to your knees out there
You’ve really been grand - Your eyes are like starlight now
But don’t you see - How can you do this thing to me
There’s bound to be talk tomorrow - Making my life long sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied - If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can’t stay - Get over that old out
Ahh, but it’s cold outside
Brr its cold….
It’s cold out there
Cant you stay awhile longer baby
Well… I really shouldn’t… all right
Make it worth your while baby
Ahh, do that again…
That just cracks me up. And there are a few other songs that we consider traditional that aren’t about Christmas, too. Winter Wonderland and Frosty the Snowman come to mind. But I guess things become traditions and we follow along gladly without thinking about it. Before you know it, it’s set in stone.
Here are some of my favorite “non-traditional” X-mas songs:
The Pogues’s Fairytale of New York “And the boys from the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay, and the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day.” A simply great, beautifully sad song.
The Ramones’ Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
Cheech & Chong’s Santa Claus and his Old Lady
The Kinks’ Father Christmas
The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping
U2’s Christmas Baby (Please Come Home)
Run DMC’s Christmas in Hollis
Tom Waits’ Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis (nothin’ says Christmas like that song title, huh?!)
The Pretenders’ 2000 Miles
Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s I Believe In Father Christmas
Have you heard the James Taylor version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”? OMG, it cracks me up because at the end it gets a little sleazy….you should listen to it!
My favorite modern Christmas song:
“Thanks For Christmas” by XTC
I never tire of it, even during the rest of the year.
Hilly - I’ll check it out. Sleazy is always fun, in my book.
Phil - Thank You! I knew it was XTC who did that song. I’ve got it on a compilation (Music to Stuff Any Stocking) but it lists them as “The Three Wise Men”. I’m thinking… that sounds like XTC to me.