Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and introduced to the public in the 1949 film Neptune's Daughter. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is popularly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter theme. The song was released in eight recordings in 1949 and has been covered numerous times since.
During the 1940s, whenever Hollywood celebrities with vocal talents attended parties, they were expected to perform songs. In 1944, Loesser wrote "Baby, It's Cold Outside" to sing with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their housewarming party in New York City at the Navarro Hotel. They sang the song to indicate to guests that it was time to leave. Garland has written that after the first performance, "We became instant parlor room stars. We got invited to all the best parties for years on the basis of 'Baby.' It was our ticket to caviar and truffles. Parties were built around our being the closing act." In 1948, after years of performing the song, Loesser sold it to MGM for the 1949 romantic comedy Neptune's Daughter. Garland was furious: "I felt as betrayed as if I'd caught him in bed with another woman." The song won the 1949 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
This duet is a conversation between two people, a host (called "Wolf" in the score, usually performed by a male singer) and a guest (called "Mouse", usually performed by a female), in call and response form. Every line in the song features a statement from the guest followed by a response from the host. While both the Wolf and the Mouse want the night to continue, the Mouse says they "ought to say no, no, no, sir" and return home, because of what family and neighbors will think. In the film Neptune's Daughter the song is first performed by Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams, then by Betty Garrett and Red Skelton but with a comic parody twist: this time the man wants to leave and the woman is the host and wants him to stay.
In at least one published version the tempo of the song is given as "Loesserando", a humorous reference to the composer's name.
Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-Black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968. In 1986, she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as a fairy godmother in the ABC Afterschool Special, Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale.
Oran Thaddeus "Hot Lips" Page (January 27, 1908 – November 5, 1954) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He was known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist.
Gee Hot Lip you have a nice place here
And I've been enjoying myself
But I've got to go now
Oh don't leave now
Well I've got to go I'll tell ya'
I really can't stay
But, baby, it's cold outside
Can't help it, I got to go away
But baby, it's cold outside
This evening has been
I've been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice
I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
My mother will start to worry
Beautiful, what's your hurry?
And father will be pacing the floor
Listen to the fireplace roar
Really I'd better scurry
Beautiful, please don't hurry
Well if you insist, I'll have a half a drink more
Put some records on while I pour
You mean harmony records?
The neighbors u'll think
But baby, it's bad out there
I can't help it man what did you put in this drink?
Look it's no cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how
Your eyes are like starlights now
To break the spell
I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
Well I ought to say no, no, no, sir
Mind if I move in closer
Course not, I'm gonna say that I tried
What's the sense of hurting my pride?
I really can't stay
Oh, baby don't hold out, baby
Ahh, but it's cold outside
I'm not kidding now Hot Lip
I'm tellin' you I've got to get home
But, baby, you'd freeze out there
You think so?
Yea, well lend me your coat
You know what it's up to your knees out there
Is it that deep?
It's really bad
Yea but you've been very grand
I'm thrilled when you touch my hand
But don't you see
How can you do this thing to me
Oh I'm not really cruel but
There's bound to be talk tomorrow
Think of my life long sorry
Well they'll be plenty implied
If you caught pneumonia and died?
Can't help it I really can't stay
Get over that doubt
Baby it's cold outside
You know Lips I tell you
I want to believe you so much
I think I'll look out the window
And see if it's still snowing
Say who is that woman downstairs out front?
Oh that's just a friend of mine
Oh you want me to go there
Oh, oh no indeed I'm not going out there
I don't have no fur coat no how
This floral coat is to... I can't go
So wonderful let me stay a while
Let me show you my etchings
Oh now that sounds more like it
I'll tell her to go on about her business
Baby it's cold outside
Ha you're a cause you know that don't you?
Ain't it nice in here?
Sure is
Nice
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and introduced to the public in the 1949 film Neptune's Daughter. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is popularly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter theme. The song was released in eight recordings in 1949 and has been covered numerous times since.
During the 1940s, whenever Hollywood celebrities with vocal talents attended parties, they were expected to perform songs. In 1944, Loesser wrote "Baby, It's Cold Outside" to sing with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their housewarming party in New York City at the Navarro Hotel. They sang the song to indicate to guests that it was time to leave. Garland has written that after the first performance, "We became instant parlor room stars. We got invited to all the best parties for years on the basis of 'Baby.' It was our ticket to caviar and truffles. Parties were built around our being the closing act." In 1948, after years of performing the song, Loesser sold it to MGM for the 1949 romantic comedy Neptune's Daughter. Garland was furious: "I felt as betrayed as if I'd caught him in bed with another woman." The song won the 1949 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
This duet is a conversation between two people, a host (called "Wolf" in the score, usually performed by a male singer) and a guest (called "Mouse", usually performed by a female), in call and response form. Every line in the song features a statement from the guest followed by a response from the host. While both the Wolf and the Mouse want the night to continue, the Mouse says they "ought to say no, no, no, sir" and return home, because of what family and neighbors will think. In the film Neptune's Daughter the song is first performed by Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams, then by Betty Garrett and Red Skelton but with a comic parody twist: this time the man wants to leave and the woman is the host and wants him to stay.
In at least one published version the tempo of the song is given as "Loesserando", a humorous reference to the composer's name.
Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-Black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968. In 1986, she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as a fairy godmother in the ABC Afterschool Special, Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale.
Oran Thaddeus "Hot Lips" Page (January 27, 1908 – November 5, 1954) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He was known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist.
Gee Hot Lip you have a nice place here
And I've been enjoying myself
But I've got to go now
Oh don't leave now
Well I've got to go I'll tell ya'
I really can't stay
But, baby, it's cold outside
Can't help it, I got to go away
But baby, it's cold outside
This evening has been
I've been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice
I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
My mother will start to worry
Beautiful, what's your hurry?
And father will be pacing the floor
Listen to the fireplace roar
Really I'd better scurry
Beautiful, please don't hurry
Well if you insist, I'll have a half a drink more
Put some records on while I pour
You mean harmony records?
The neighbors u'll think
But baby, it's bad out there
I can't help it man what did you put in this drink?
Look it's no cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how
Your eyes are like starlights now
To break the spell
I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
Well I ought to say no, no, no, sir
Mind if I move in closer
Course not, I'm gonna say that I tried
What's the sense of hurting my pride?
I really can't stay
Oh, baby don't hold out, baby
Ahh, but it's cold outside
I'm not kidding now Hot Lip
I'm tellin' you I've got to get home
But, baby, you'd freeze out there
You think so?
Yea, well lend me your coat
You know what it's up to your knees out there
Is it that deep?
It's really bad
Yea but you've been very grand
I'm thrilled when you touch my hand
But don't you see
How can you do this thing to me
Oh I'm not really cruel but
There's bound to be talk tomorrow
Think of my life long sorry
Well they'll be plenty implied
If you caught pneumonia and died?
Can't help it I really can't stay
Get over that doubt
Baby it's cold outside
You know Lips I tell you
I want to believe you so much
I think I'll look out the window
And see if it's still snowing
Say who is that woman downstairs out front?
Oh that's just a friend of mine
Oh you want me to go there
Oh, oh no indeed I'm not going out there
I don't have no fur coat no how
This floral coat is to... I can't go
So wonderful let me stay a while
Let me show you my etchings
Oh now that sounds more like it
I'll tell her to go on about her business
Baby it's cold outside
Ha you're a cause you know that don't you?
Ain't it nice in here?
Sure is
Nice
