Photo by Glenn Francis/Pacific Pro Digital Photography (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In an interview with Vanity Fair, singer John Legend announced that he and Natasha Rothwell have rewritten “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with politically correct lyrics, but not everybody is happy about it.
The legendary Christmas song, which was written in 1944 by Frank Loesser, has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years because some modern audiences have perceived the lyrics to be condoning date rape.
Even before the #MeToo movement, people were complaining about it. In 2012, Salon described the song as a “data rape anthem” while saying that it was “icky at best, at worst reprehensible.” In the aftermath of #MeToo, a number of radio stations have even banned it.
John Legend says that he has rewritten the lyrics so that they are more “modern” and will sing the new version in a duet with Kelly Clarkson. Not only will the new version replace the questionable lyric “Say what’s in this drink?” to the more acceptable “If I have one more drink?” but Legend has even managed to add what many could see as an abortion rights message to the song: “It’s your body, and your choice.”
This is not the first time that someone has decided to rewrite “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with more correct lyrics.
In 2016, songwriters Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski also sanitized the song, adding such lyrics as “Baby, I’m fine with that” and “Been hoping you get home safe.”
But not everyone is happy with all the revisioning. Susan Loesser, who is the daughter of the composer, insists that the original lyrics never suggested date rape and that people are applying modern connotations of expressions that did not exist at the time the song was written. She also said that “I think my father would be furious” at the accusations that he was condoning or even encouraging sexual assault.
Loesser believes that people should look at the song “in the context of the time.”
Guess He Can’t Write . . .Ahh I Don’t Know . . . A NEW SONG???
Doesn’t he and his wife have a Xmas special
And he regularly disparages half of the nation on a day to day basis?
Baby it would be cold outside for you and your family if this juggernaut industry wasn’t backing you up
Can’t wait till his overlords toss him from the has been pile. . . to the never was pile!
John Legend is a professional celebrity. Not a real musician. Him and Teigen are 100% all about getting into Vanity Fair and publicity stunts like this one.
Like they say: no there there.
This woke shit has gone too far.
Tedious
Really? This song is a timeless classic.
the Left has jumped the shark.
Frank sounds like a guy who’s trying to get you into the mood after a night at the park. Coming off as playful.
John sounds like A 16 year old who’s wrapping up a bad date and got his advice from Internet forums and you just want to get out of there before it gets more awkward.
John Legend and his hideous wife are worthless scums.