As October flies by and November rears its head, we're going full steam ahead toward the holiday season. With all the cold nights and holiday films that will take over during the coming months, there are also the familiar sounds of the season. People love their holiday music, but not all of the old classics hold up in today's climate.
Take "Baby, It's Cold Outside," for example. The holiday tune was penned by Guys and Dolls songwriter Frank Loesser. He wrote it as a duet to sing with his wife during the holiday season back in 1944. In recent years, people have taken issue with the song's insinuations of date rape and coercion. Fear not, holiday lovers, for John Legend and Kelly Clarkson are looking to breathe new life into the old classic.
The two coaches for The Voice have decided to update the lyrics of the song, preserving the catchy tune while promoting the idea of consent. The single will be released as part of John's Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas: The Deluxe Edition.
We're all gearing up to hear the sounds of the season as Halloween gives way to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more. Holiday movies will be available as soon as this week, so it only stands to reason that we'll start hearing the music soon, too.
There are a lot of today's artists who have tapped into their love of the holidays to produce Christmas albums, but we also love listening to those classic songs we grew up enjoying. Some of those classics haven't exactly aged well, however.
The last two years have seen a lot of controversy over the 1944 Christmas classic, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." The song was written by Guys and Dolls songwriter Frank Loesser. He wrote it as a duet to sing with his wife at holiday parties.
The song is catchy and definitely holds a spot in the hearts of many, but a lot of people feel the lyrics aren't totally appropriate for the culture we live in today. The underlying pressure put on the woman who is present in the song feels out of place in a post #MeToo world.
While many have called for banning the song from all public play altogether, John Legend has offered up another solution. The R&B crooner has teamed up with Insecure star and writer Natasha Rothwell and fellow The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson to update the tune.
The news was first revealed in John and wife Chrissy Teigen's feature in Vanity Fair. "The song’s every bit as fun and swinging as the original, and its newfound sensitivity feels genuine, not performative," the piece notes.
Some of the ickier lines in the old song include, "Say, what's in this drink?" — a line that many take to insinuate her drink may have been spiked. There's also, "I ought to say 'No, no, no sir' (Mind if I move in closer?) / At least I'm gonna say that I tried (What's the sense in hurtin' my pride?)."
John offers updated lyrics, such as, "I really can’t stay (Baby, it’s cold outside) / I’ve gotta go away (I can call you a ride) / This evening has been (So glad that you dropped in) / So very nice (Time spent with you is paradise) / My mother will start to worry (I’ll call a car and tell ’em to hurry)."
Another section of the song is updated to, "What will my friends think? (I think they should rejoice) / If I have one more drink? (It’s your body and your choice)," illustrating what consent should look like.
The song will be released as part of A Legendary Christmas: Deluxe Edition, the expansion on John's 2018 Christmas album. While some fans are excited to hear the new and improved version, others think that the classic should have been left alone.
John isn't the first to take on the challenge of updating a classic tune. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus took a crack at giving "Santa Baby" a feminist update.
"Santa baby, I don’t fancy any fancy jewelry, not me / I’ve got something else in mind, Santa baby / And I don’t need your presents tonight," she sings. She then adds, "Don’t want diamonds, cash, or stocks / Nothing that comes in a box / No more fluff, I’ve had enough / And I can buy my own damn stuff."
While Miley's update was done for laughs rather than as a serious alternative to the original, many women appreciated the idea of a woman with agency taking on the idea that she needs to be taken care of.
In all this reworking of classic tunes, we might find some new classics on our hands that speak more to the culture of the modern world. At the very least, we can do away with some tunes that are uncomfortable and provide the wrong message.
