Listen to "Baby It's Cold Outside" featuring Jonny Blu!

I'm quite busy usually and don't have much time to comment day to day, so I've gotten here a bit late too. But I think a few have stretched and twisted these meanings into something that is not there or was never intended from any time perspective, just to prove an unrelated point that the song is from a previous era. Basically the thread has gotten overly annoying and one sided. Let me analyze this my way - in depth - and present it, not for anyone's approval whatsoever, but just to get some other viewpoint out there. If no one has a valid response, I'll assume I've disproven the criticism as simple lack of social or dating experience.

First, for those who might not know the style. The song is Swing from its original era. So there's a tiny bit of 40s slang here and there which comes across as cute and playful. I believe this was the intended effect then, and it still works now. All lyrics support the same theme in my mind without exception. Just bc some people don't understand the social context of what they are listening to, does not make it "mean" what they think it does. Any kids here are excluded from these comments btw. But it does remind me of the threads about people admitting their absurd impression of Avril songs first heard as children. This Christmas tune is stylish, retro, and timeless imo.

First complaint is about her being "trapped" unwillingly in a situation. No. Completely wrong. I see it as a metaphor of relationships between male and female. There is no power situation going on. For some reason we don't see in the story she went to him when she needed safety, and he is telling her she should not put herself in danger rushing home. He cares. Bc this backstory was not spelled out like a grade school textbook, BA missed the entire setup. No one has bolted the door or tied anyone up. This is neither 50 Shades or Bates Motel. They are most likely sitting by a fireplace (after she has chosen the music from his record collection and put it on the turntable). He has suggested this to her as a way for her to get to know what he is about as a person. Not one critic here bothered to mention that. We also see numerous references by both people to the warmth and contrasting it with the cold of being alone. Has no one here been in this situation? (Again, any kids excluded from this question). She is warming up to him and the situation in general. But my impression is that she is far more concerned with what others will think of her spending time with a guy than any worry about him or the situation of them being alone together. This in no way sounds to me like a woman worried about her safety. She seems more "trapped" by people who aren't there. Also in very cold climates people drink alcohol to stay warm. So this is part of the same symbolism. But in a larger sense everything becomes a metaphor for love vs no love.

Another very important point missed in these comments is how the lyrics are actually a mix of spoken conversation and inner thoughts of both people. To my knowledge, there is still no law against freedom of thought. My point is that some lyrics are inner feelings which are not totally realistic bc they are subjective and not meant as direct communication. Now I'm starting to wonder if Avril isn't wasting her efforts on creating meaningful lyrics. From the lyric debates which I took part in here months ago, I'm not sure it would be worth the extra work. Too many are either taking things as literal as children, or can only see negative meanings in everything, or take one tiny detail completely out of context as if it's the entire song, meanwhile missing the larger point.

The other complaint is the phrase about her asking (casually) what's in her drink? The other night I was in a Mexican restaurant and ordered a new drink I'd never heard of. It wasn't even alcoholic but it turned out to have an amazing flavor. So I asked the waitress the exact same question (no one was thinking about this song btw or staring at each other in paranoia over my question). I think the very best thing about the real world is how much of a total vacation it is from social media. But ask any bartender and I'll bet they've also heard this same question several times a night. In the song, this question is definately not a reference to drugs bc it could go directly against the mood, theme and lyrics of the song. The guy was trying to impress her with his drink selection, so bring on the squad cars according to BA. And the following comment is not directed at the kids here, but there are a whole bunch of other people on BA who need to get out a lot more imo. But in a larger sense, this is a fantasy and must be interpreted as such. It is not a real world situation, therefore all the lyrical elements must blend together seamlessly. But I've heard that same kind of sentiment expressed about me during a date and there was not a drink in sight. I've said the same thing about women I'm with. Frank Sinatra, also from the Swing era, sang "Witchcraft" which expressed the same sentiment about being under the spell of attraction to someone. He was no more talking about being held hostage by a coven after being fed a poisoned apple, than Avril was singing about being drugged against her will from a capsule. Carlos Santana sang about a "Black Magic Woman". No shrunken heads were found in his drink either. Kesha sang "Love Is a Drug". You can do better. Or maybe you can't. Or won't. Do whatever you do with the next few weeks. And let Avril enjoy the time just a little, whether it's your lifestyle or not? This record was a dream project for her. She got to try out doing a holiday song, and sing a favorite genre she enjoys in her personal life. But once again on BA, no good deed goes unpunished.