Baby, it’s Safe Outside

“Baby, it’s Cold Outside” has been a favorite song for many at Christmas over the years. It’s been covered by multiple bands and duos, and even featured in family movies like Elf (2003). Sadly, but to no surprise, the lyrics of this song have not been questioned until recent years.

This song begins with an innocent intro, with the female voice explaining how she needs to head out, claiming that her parents will be worried, and the male voice tells her she ought to stay because it’s awfully cold outside. The situation escalates awfully quickly, though.

Soon, the female voice is questioning what’s in the drink the male has given her, still listing reasons why she needs to go home, and all along the male voice is blatantly ignoring her, going on about her appearance, and asking, “what’s the sense in hurting my pride.”

The female voice literally says, “the answer is no.” Yet, the male voice continuously insists she stays. The male voice in this song is incredibly persistent, and not in a good way.

So, what does this song imply? With the words the male uses, the female is meant to feel guilty for wanting to leave, she is meant to fulfill his needs so that his pride is not let down. The female tries multiple explanations as to why she needs to leave, including her family, the talk of the town, and even that she “simply must go,” but none of this matters to the male because he’s got to get his fix, and he’s even willing to drug her drink to get it!

This song has been accepted as a classic for decades. It hasn’t been until recent years that people have began to discuss the fact that it’s literally about rape. In present time, this topic is one that is discussed often and needs to be.

This song is a reminder of what it’s like being a woman. Often times, we must remind people that we are someone’s daughter, because simply being human isn’t enough. We’ve been taught not to leave our drinks unattended, because if we don’t we may get drugged, and if we do it’s our fault because we knew to watch out for ourselves. People use lines such as, “she shouldn’t have been there and it wouldn’t have happened,” but this song is a clear example against that. She clearly didn’t want to be there, but he wouldn’t let her leave.

This song has held a dear place in the hearts of many over the decades, but it’s time that we recognize what it’s really about.