Dean Martin’s daughter has criticised John Legend’s new version of her father’s classic song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, calling the changed lyrics “absolutely absurd”.
Legend and Kelly Clarkson have reimagined the Christmas track without the controversial lyrics, replacing “I've got to go away, but baby it's cold outside” in the 1944 original with “I've got to go away, I can call you a ride”.
The new version also adds the lyric “It’s your body, and your choice”.
However, when Deana Martin, the daughter of the song’s original singer, was asked if the rewrite offended her, she told Good Morning Britain: “Absolutely. You do not change the lyrics to the song. He’s [Legend] made it more sexual with those words he’s said. It’s absolutely absurd.
“I think what he’s done is he’s stealing the thunder from Frank Loesser’s song and my dad. He should write his own song if he doesn’t like this one, but don’t change the lyrics. It’s a classic, perfect song.”
On how her father would have reacted, she said: “He would have laughed. He wouldn’t care about something like this, it’s just too absurd for him.
“It was a fabulous song and it’s been recorded by so many different people. My dad didn’t care about things like that. He was just such a great guy and [it’s] such a fabulous song that I think John should have just left it alone.”
She added: “This is 60-years-old, this song. I think they’ve all lost their minds. Thank you for bringing it to the forefront.”
Legend’s new rendition of the track, originally written by composer Frank Loesser, comes after the song’s lyrics prompted a conversation around consent.
In recent years, lyrics such as “Say, what’s in this drink?” and the pressure on the woman in the story to stay with the man has faced criticism.
