a pop standard’s Christmas in Wales

Today’s holiday selection features the all-Cymric duo of powerhouse crooner Tom Jones and Catatonia’s Cerys Matthews performing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Or as I affectionately call it, “Am I Going to Get Laid Tonight, or What?”

Pretty harsh, I admit, but it’s one of those songs where the creepiness of the concept gets a pass because it’s considered a “classic.” I understand that different eras had different mores, but, seriously, “no means no,” buster. Mr. Wolf’s (the man in the song is called “The Wolf” and the woman is called “The Mouse” -- make what you will of those choices of nomenclature) reluctance to break out the roofies is duly noted, but that just means he’s being a manipulative asshole rather than a criminal.

I think too much about this stuff, don’t I? Still, Jones is in his native element (old school pop, not creepy sexism) here, and while I found Matthew's raspy-cutesy voice off-putting in the material she recorded with Catatonia, It works perfectly within the context of this track. I still think she ought to just phone a cab and call it a night, though.

Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews – Baby, It’s Cold Outside (from Reload, 1999)