Matthews learnt to play guitar at the age of nine, sang Welsh folk songs and taught herself traditional songs from all over the globe including blues and Irish folk songs. She was a member of the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra. The band Catatonia formed in 1992 after Matthews and guitarist Mark Roberts began dating, as well as writing songs together, at the end of 1991. Catatonia split in mid-2001, and Matthews released her first solo album , Cockahoop, in May 2003. Her second album Never Said Goodbye was released in August 2006. In November 2007 she released a mini-album of Welsh language songs Awyren=Aeroplane.
At the 2013 Sony Radio Academy Awards, Matthews won Gold for her popular BBC 6 music Sunday morning show, which she programmes and hosts. She is the One Show’s cultural reporter and writes and presents radio and television documentaries on subjects as diverse as Cuba, early classical composers, shark fishing and early female blues players. A collector of songs for over thirty years, Matthews is a columnist for the world music magazine ‘Songlines’, and her sing-along book, ‘Hook, Line and Singer’, published by Penguin was a Sunday Times bestseller. She is the author of children’s stories ‘Tales from the Deep’ and ‘Gelert: A Man’s Best Friend’.
Matthews has curated for theatres and the Tate Modern and was artistic director for the opening ceremony of the World Music Expo 2013. She was awarded an inaugural St David Award for her services to culture this year from the First Minister of Wales.
Also in 2013, Matthews wrote and presented a six-part television series looking into the history of centuries old folk songs in her native Wales. In October 2014 Matthews releases an album of music and poetry by Dylan Thomas as well as an Archive Hour programme for BBC Radio 4 looking into her uncle Colin Edward’s role in amassing a huge archive on this great lyrical poet. Matthews has created a cultural festival, 'The Good Life Experience'. She is a judge for the Dylan Thomas Prize for young writers, and for the Forward Prizes for poetry.
Her 2010 self-produced album of traditional Welsh songs, ‘Tir’, is the biggest selling Welsh language album of the decade; the second volume, ‘Hullabaloo’ followed in 2013.
Matthews dueted with Sir Tom Jones on the perennial winter favourite, ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’. She is Vice President for the homeless charity, Shelter, Vice President of the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, is patron of the Dylan Thomas Society and Ballet Cymru, and is Arts Ambassador for the Linden Lodge School - a specialist school for sensory impairment.
Matthews lives in West London with her husband and children.
baby it
Cerys Matthews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But baby, it's cold outside
I've got to go away
Ah, baby, it's cold outside
This evening has been
Been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice
My mother will start to worry
Beautiful, what's your hurry
My father will be pacing the floor
Listen to that fireplace roar
So really I'd better scurry
Oh beautiful, please don't hurry
Maybe just a half a drink more
Why don't you put some records on while I pour
The neighbors might think
Oh baby, it's bad out there
Say, what's in this drink
There's no cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how
Your eyes are like starlight now
To break this spell
I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
Mind if I move a little closer
At least there'll be, oh, that I tried
What's the sense of hurting my pride
I really can't stay
Baby, don't hold out
Ah, but it's cold outside, yeah
I simply must go
Oh, baby, it's cold outside
The answer is no
You know it's cold outside
This welcome has been
I'm lucky that you dropped in
So nice and warm
Look out the window at that storm
My sister will be suspicious
Oh, your lips look delicious
My brother will be there at the door
Like waves upon a tropical shore
My maiden aunt's mind is vicious
Ooh, your lips are delicious
Ah, maybe just a cigarette more
Never such a blizzard before
I've got to go home
Oh, baby, you would freeze out there
Say, lend me a comb
You know it's up to your knees out there
You've really been grand
I thrill when you touch my hand
But don't you see?
How can you do this thing to me
There's bound to be talk tomorrow
Making my life long sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied
If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can't stay
Get over and hold out
Ah, but it's cold outside, yeah
Bloody, freezin' ain't it
The song "Baby It's Cold Outside" is a duet originally written in 1944 by Frank Loesser. In this particular version, performed by Cerys Matthews, a woman is trying to leave her lover's house on a cold, winter night, but her love interest keeps persuading her to stay a little longer as he tries to seduce her. Through the song, the female character expresses her desire to leave and concerns about what the society might think of her being alone in a man's house. Nevertheless, her lover ignores her and continually urges the woman to stay.
Throughout the song, the man maintains control by trying to manipulate and coerce the woman through different methods. For instance, he puts pressure on her to stay longer through flattery, promising to protect her from the cold weather, and engaging in other distracting activities like pouring wine and putting records on. The woman, on the other hand, expresses her desire to leave through vocal cues, like saying "I really can't stay," bringing up excuses like "my mother will start to worry," and uttering phrases like "You've been grand." Through the lyrics, the song highlights the power dynamics between the two characters and raises the issue of consent and coercion.
Line by Line Meaning
I really can't stay
I'm not comfortable staying over
But baby, it's cold outside
I know that the weather outside is bad
I've got to go away
I must leave soon
Ah, baby, it's cold outside
It's just too cold outside
This evening has been
I enjoyed spending time with you tonight
Been hoping that you'd drop in
I was looking forward to your visit
So very nice
We had a great time together
I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
Your hands are very cold
My mother will start to worry
My family might be concerned about my whereabouts
Beautiful, what's your hurry
I don't want you to leave yet
My father will be pacing the floor
My dad might be anxious
Listen to that fireplace roar
It's cozy by the fire
So really I'd better scurry
I should leave soon
Oh beautiful, please don't hurry
Please stay a little longer
Maybe just a half a drink more
Perhaps have a bit more to drink
Why don't you put some records on while I pour
Let me play some music while I fix our drinks
The neighbors might think
People might judge us
Oh baby, it's bad out there
The weather is really terrible
Say, what's in this drink
I'm curious about what's in my drink
There's no cabs to be had out there
It's impossible to get a taxi in this weather
I wish I knew how
I'm not sure how to handle this situation
Your eyes are like starlight now
You have beautiful eyes
To break this spell
To end this moment of attraction between us
I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
May I take your hat? Your hair looks great
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
I probably should say no to this situation
Mind if I move a little closer
Can I come a little bit closer to you?
At least there'll be, oh, that I tried
I'll take a risk and see how things turn out
What's the sense of hurting my pride
I don't want to be embarrassed or feel ashamed
Baby, don't hold out
Please don't refuse me
I simply must go
I need to leave now
The answer is no
I'm not interested in staying anymore
You know it's cold outside
You are aware of the extreme weather outside
I'm lucky that you dropped in
I'm happy that you came over
Look out the window at that storm
Check out how bad the weather is outside
My sister will be suspicious
My sister might think that something is going on between us
Oh, your lips look delicious
I really like your lips
My brother will be there at the door
My brother might come home soon
Like waves upon a tropical shore
He'll be excited to see me like waves on a tropical shore
My maiden aunt's mind is vicious
My aunt might have some nasty thoughts
Ooh, your lips are delicious
I just can't resist kissing your lips
Ah, maybe just a cigarette more
Let's smoke another cigarette before you leave
Never such a blizzard before
I've never experienced such extreme weather before
I've got to go home
I need to leave and go back to my own place
You would freeze out there
It's too cold outside for you to stay
Say, lend me a comb
Can I borrow a comb from you?
You know it's up to your knees out there
The snow outside is deep and you might get stuck
You've really been grand
You've been wonderful company
I thrill when you touch my hand
I feel excited when you touch me
But don't you see?
Can't you understand my situation?
How can you do this thing to me
Why are you making it hard for me to leave?
There's bound to be talk tomorrow
People will definitely talk about us if I stay over
Making my life long sorrow
This could lead to a lot of pain for me in the future
At least there will be plenty implied
People will have plenty of thoughts and ideas about us
If you caught pneumonia and died
I don't want anything bad to happen to you
Get over and hold out
Please try to understand and agree with me
Bloody, freezin' ain't it
Wow, it's really freezing out here, isn't it?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Loesser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind