Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Baby, It's Cold Outside!


So, I was listening to Christmas music this morning as I sat at my desk wondering if I would have any thoughts today.   And the song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," came on.  I was singing along with it, thinking of the movie, "Elf,"  - - you know, the scene in the bathroom when that cute girl is singing that same song in the shower and Will Ferrell comes in and starts singing along with her and she freaks out (as would I if a strange man were in my bathroom singing songs while I showered).   Anyway, I was enjoying the song, kind of bopping my head and feeling it.   Then the line, "Maybe just a cigarette more," . . . I do not remember that line in that song!   I'm sure it was there all along (especially in the Dean Martin version), but I don't think I ever heard it.  I've heard that song a zillion times.  And I don't know why this time I heard it for the first  time.  And when I heard it, it bothered me.  I lost a little itty bitty bit of fondness for it - at least that version.  I know it's been done many times after, so I looked up the lyrics on a couple other versions, just out of curiousity.   That particular line is not in Rod Stewart's version, but it is in Lady Antebellum's.    Interesting.

I grew up in the days when it was perfectly acceptable to smoke.  Not only acceptable, but really cool.  My dad was a smoker (although not cool).  My mother was not a smoker  (although cool).  And none of us kids are (smokers OR cool).  And I'm pretty sure there was cigarette smoke in our house all the time, but I don't think I ever really noticed it.  Today, if I walk by someone who is smoking, or has smoked, I want to hold my breath until I'm in fresh air territory.  

I guess it doesn't really matter if that line is in the song or not.  It's a really nice song.  But I wonder how many other songs I sing to or bop my head to without really knowing what lyrics I'm singing or bopping to!    

 

7 comments:

  1. I do that all the time with songs. I'll mumble along and bop my head to the music. I even tell people I really like a song and they look at me funny and I wonder why. Later I find out the lyrics and I'm embarrassed. It's also true that I may know lyrics to a song that are different than the lyrics someone else may know.

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  2. I think the Song says 'Half a Drink More' too. It is a Bit Cold Out there. My kids tease me when I BOP my head to a Song. Barry Manilow sings this one the Best IMHO.

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  3. I saw that "half a drink more" line, Mary, and thought, whatever. those were the days of smoking and drinking . . . :)

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  4. I always know the lyrics I bop to ;) Unless they're in another language.... though I'm not sure I know many of those.

    I'm not crazy about smoking or drinking lyrics either. I suppose they're tame compared to other lyrics. Maybe that's why I don't listen to music much!

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  5. It usually doesn't matter what the real lyrics are. My sisters and I are notorious for hearing completely wrong words and singing those wrong words loudly (and two out of three of us sing them badly)!

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  6. Interesting you chose this as a topic .. I've been leaving comments all over blogland using song lyrics inspired by the posts I've read .. the original lyrics to your earworm definitely had the cigarette line in it .. the song is a duet .. and he wants her to stay .. she wants to stay ... I wonder if she does.. Frank Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife at their housewarming party.

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  7. think most of us sing without knowing what we are saying;. something to pay attention to in the future

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