While it’s impossible to say for certain when listeners first noticed that the back and forth sounded kind of creepy, the earliest known article on the subject was published in 2004 by Canada’s National Post. A search of the New York Public Library’s archives (which, in fairness, is incomplete) reveals that the phrase “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” most commonly appears in headlines about freezing temperatures and winter fashions, and not articles parsing its lyrical content.

Does she want to stay, but is playing hard to get? Or is she succumbing to his unrelenting persistence against her true desires, an experience many women can relate to?įor most of the duet’s history, the only controversy was whether it was fair to call it a Christmas song, considering the lyrics don’t have anything to do with the holidays at all.

“I’ll hold your hands they’re just like ice,” he sings, and then later, “Listen to the fireplace roar.” At times, the Mouse doesn’t resist his temptations, agreeing to “just half a drink more,” but for every inch she gives, he takes two. Every excuse the Mouse offers to say goodnight - “my mother will worry,” “my father will be pacing the floor” - the Wolf counters. “But, baby, it’s cold outside,” he replies. The premise is that the Wolf and the Mouse have gone on a date, and after having a nightcap back at his house, she’s making her excuses to leave, while he’s urging her to stay. In 1948, the song was recorded for the musical Neptune’s Daughter in the score, the male and female parts are labeled “the Wolf” and “the Mouse,” respectively. Here’s a look back at when and how the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” rape debate became an even bigger holiday tradition.Ĭomposed in 1944, Loesser originally wrote “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” as a playful call-and-response duet for him and his wife to perform at their housewarming party while their guests were preparing to bid them goodnight. Some radio stations have even opted to ban the song over the controversy, a decision which, in turn, fuels the fight even further. Dozens of articles are published each year.Įvery so often an exceptionally fiery opinion - like that the song played a “ pivotal role in the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism ” - surfaces, but the vast majority recycle the same handful of points and counterpoints, with the occasional timely news peg (like the #MeToo movement) thrown in to bring the debate up to date. Every December, the Internet serves up a fresh batch of hot takes about Frank Loesser’s 1944 jazz standard, a classic recipe for clickbait controversy that’s guaranteed to draw a crowd. Ladies and gentleman, ‘Let It Snow’.Who doesn’t love a festive holiday tradition? The Christmas tree has been trimmed, stockings have been hung, the elf is sitting on his shelf and, once again, people are debating whether “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is a song about rape. So sit back, relax and watch the song most commonly mistaken for a Christmas song by Rod Stewart and Kylie Minogue. Rod Stewart included it on his recent ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ album. Kylie Minogue released her version of the song as a single in 2010. Over the years ‘Let It Snow’ has been covered by Dean Martin, Smokey Robinson, Doris Day, Andy Williams, Carly Simon, Aaron Neville, Chicago, Michael Buble, Celtic Woman, Twister Sister and Lady Antebellum. Sinatra would go on to record ‘Let It Snow’ as well in 1950. It entered the top of the chart on January 26 and stayed for 5 weeks entirely through February.Ĭahn and Styne would have another number one hit later that same year when Frank Sinatra took their ‘Five Minutes More’ to the top of the Billboard chart. 1 on the Billboard chart for the first time in 1946. The song was first recorded by Vaughn Monroe and reached no. Cahn noted that at the time one of the hottest days on record in Los Angeles and he just wanted it to snow. While it is commonly regarded as a Christmas song the song was written about the hot day it was that day. The song was written in July, 1945 in Los Angeles by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne. Christmas music trivia: ‘Let It Snow’ is not a Christmas song.

Let it snow let it snow let it snow