Born during the Great Depression and raised by his grandparents, Nelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten. During high school, he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player. After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems. After his return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music. During this time, he worked as a disc jockey in Texas radio stations and a singer in honky-tonks. Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he wrote "Family Bible" and recorded the song "Lumberjack" in 1956. He also worked as a disc jockey at various radio stations in Vancouver and nearby Portland, Oregon. In 1958, he moved to Houston, Texas, after signing a contract with D Records. He sang at the Esquire Ballroom weekly and he worked as a disk jockey. During that time, he wrote songs that would become country standards, including "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello Walls", "Pretty Paper", and "Crazy". In 1960 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. In 1962, he recorded his first album, ...And Then I Wrote. Due to this success, Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin, Texas. The ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return from retirement, performing frequently at the Armadillo World Headquarters.
In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson turned to outlaw country, including albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to Columbia Records, where he recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger. The same year, he recorded another outlaw country album, Wanted! The Outlaws, along with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During the mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like "On the Road Again", "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", and "Pancho and Lefty", he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
In 1990, Nelson's assets were seized by the Internal Revenue Service, which claimed that he owed $32 million. The difficulty of paying his outstanding debt was aggravated by weak investments he had made during the 1980s. In 1992, Nelson released The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?; the profits of the double album—destined to the IRS—and the auction of Nelson's assets cleared his debt. During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson continued touring extensively, and released albums every year. Reviews ranged from positive to mixed. He explored genres such as reggae, blues, jazz, and folk.
Nelson made his first movie appearance in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, followed by other appearances in movies and on television. Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which is in favor of marijuana legalization. On the environmental front, Nelson owns the bio-diesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oil. Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the state of Texas.
Nelson uses a variety of music styles to create his own distinctive blend of country music, a hybrid of jazz, pop, blues, rock and folk. His "unique sound", which uses a "relaxed, behind-the-beat singing style and gut-string guitar" and his "nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing", has been responsible for his wide appeal, and has made him a "vital icon in country music", influencing the "new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the 1980s and 1990s".
In 1969, the Baldwin company gave Nelson an amplifier and guitar with their "Prismatone" pickup. During a show in Helotes, Texas, Nelson left the guitar on the floor of the stage, and it was later stepped on by a drunk man. He sent it to be repaired in Nashville by Shot Jackson, who told Nelson that the damage was too great. Jackson offered him a Martin N-20 Classical guitar, and, at Nelson's request, moved the pickup to the Martin. Nelson purchased the guitar unseen for $750 and named it after Roy Rogers' horse "Trigger". The next year Nelson rescued the guitar from his burning ranch.
Constant strumming with a guitar pick over the decades has worn a large sweeping hole into the guitar's body near the sound hole—the N-20 has no pick-guard since classical guitars are meant to be played fingerstyle instead of with picks. Its soundboard has been signed by over a hundred of Nelson's friends and associates, ranging from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches. The first signature on the guitar was Leon Russell's, who asked Nelson initially to sign his guitar. When Nelson was about to sign it with a marker, Russell requested him to scratch it instead, explaining that the guitar would be more valuable in the future. Interested in the concept, Nelson requested Russell to also sign his guitar. In 1991, during his process with the IRS, Nelson was worried that Trigger could be auctioned off, stating: "When Trigger goes, I'll quit". He asked his daughter, Lana, to take the guitar from the studio before any IRS agent arrived there, and then deliver it to him in Maui. Nelson then concealed the guitar in his manager's house until his debt was paid off in 1993.
Nelson is widely recognized as an American icon. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. In 2011, Nelson was inducted to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, for his labor in Farm Aid and other fund raisers to benefit farmers. In 2015 Nelson won the Gershwin Prize, the lifetime award of the Library of Congress. In 2018 The Texas Institute of Letters inducted him among its members for his songwriting. He was included by Rolling Stone on its 100 Greatest Singers and 100 Greatest Guitarists lists.
Baby It's Cold Outside
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, it's cold outside
I've got to go away
But baby, it's cold outside
This evening has been
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?
My father will be pacing the floor
Listen to the fireplace roar
So really, I'd better scurry
Beautiful, please don't hurry
Well, maybe just a half a drink more
Put some records on while I pour
Neighbors might think
Baby it's bad out there
Say what's in this drink?
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 in closer
At least I'm gonna say that I tried
What's the sense of hurting my pride?
I really can't stay
Baby, don't hold out
Baby, it's cold outside
I simply must go
Baby, it's cold outside
Oh, the answer is no
Baby, it's cold outside
Your welcome has been
How lucky that you dropped in
So nice and warm
Look out the window at that storm
My sister will be suspicious
Gosh, your lips look delicious
My brother will be there at the door
Waves upon a tropical shore
My maiden aunt's mind is so vicious
Your lips are delicious
Well, maybe just a cigarette more
Never such a blizzard before
I've got to get home
Baby, you'll freeze out there
Say, lend me a coat
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
Think of my lifelong sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied
If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can't stay
Get over that holdout
Baby, it's cold outside
The lyrics to Willie Nelson's "Baby It's Cold Outside" depict a conversation between two people who are contemplating whether one should stay or leave due to the cold weather outside. The song is commonly interpreted as a man persuading a woman to stay and spend the night with him, despite her hesitation to leave. Throughout the song, the woman expresses her concern for getting home and the man repeatedly urges her to stay, by using tactics such as offering her a drink, playing music to set the mood, and complimenting her looks. However, the woman continues to express her uncertainty and self-doubt about her decision to stay. Several lyrics in the song suggest an underlying sense of sexual tension and potential danger, such as the woman's worry that the neighbors might think it is bad that she stays and her curiosity about what is in her drink.
The song has been criticized for promoting rape culture and for its depiction of a man repeatedly pushing a woman to stay with him despite her clear reluctance. However, it has also been interpreted as a reflection of the societal pressures placed on women to fulfill traditional gender roles and expectations, exemplified in the woman's hesitation to stay with the man due to societal expectations and implications surrounding such a decision.
Line by Line Meaning
I really can't stay
I'm feeling really pressured to stay here, but I know I should be going.
Baby, it's cold outside
I don't want to go out in the cold, but I have to.
I've got to go away
I really need to leave, even though I don't want to.
But baby, it's cold outside
I'm hesitating because I know it's freezing out there.
This evening has been
I've enjoyed spending time with you tonight.
Been hoping that you'd drop in
I was looking forward to seeing you tonight.
So very nice
I've had a really good time with you.
I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
Your hands are really cold, let me warm them up.
My mother will start to worry
My mom is going to be concerned if I stay out too late.
Beautiful, what's your hurry?
Don't rush off, stay a little longer.
My father will be pacing the floor
My dad is going to be worried if I don't come home soon.
Listen to the fireplace roar
Just listen to how cozy and warm it is in here.
So really, I'd better scurry
I should get going; it's getting late.
Beautiful, please don't hurry
Stay a bit longer, I'm enjoying your company.
Well, maybe just a half a drink more
Okay, I'll have another drink before I go.
Put some records on while I pour
Let's listen to some music as I pour us another drink.
Neighbors might think
People will probably wonder why I'm staying over so late.
Baby it's bad out there
It's really cold and unpleasant outside.
Say what's in this drink?
I'm suspicious about what's in this drink you gave me.
No cabs to be had out there
There aren't any cabs available due to the snowstorm.
I wish I knew how
I don't know how to resist your charm and stay focused on leaving.
Your eyes are like starlight now
You look very beautiful right now.
To break this spell
I need to break out of this moment and leave.
I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
Let me help you get ready to leave, but also complimenting you on how you look.
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
I should refuse your invitation to stay and leave right now.
Mind if I move in closer
But I'm really attracted to you and want to get closer.
At least I'm gonna say that I tried
I don't want to regret not spending more time with you tonight.
What's the sense of hurting my pride?
Rejecting your invitation would hurt my ego; I don't want that.
Baby, don't hold out
Don't be too stubborn; let me convince you to stay.
Baby, it's cold outside
I really don't want to go back out into the cold.
I simply must go
I'm really trying to leave now, even though I don't really want to.
Oh, the answer is no
I should stick to my decision and not stay any longer.
Baby, it's cold outside
I don't want to go outside into the cold weather.
Your welcome has been
I appreciate your hospitality and enjoying spending time with you.
How lucky that you dropped in
I was really happy that you decided to come over tonight.
So nice and warm
It's so cozy and warm in here, I don't want to leave.
Look out the window at that storm
The storm outside is really intense; I should leave while I can.
My sister will be suspicious
My sister will think it's strange if I stay over too late.
Gosh, your lips look delicious
You look really attractive right now, and I want to kiss you.
My brother will be there at the door
My brother is probably waiting for me and wondering where I am.
Waves upon a tropical shore
I'm imagining us being on a nice, tropical beach instead of in this storm.
My maiden aunt's mind is so vicious
My aunt can be very judgmental and critical of me, so I don't want to stay out too late.
Your lips are delicious
I really want to kiss you right now; you look so attractive.
Well, maybe just a cigarette more
Let's have one more cigarette together before I go.
Never such a blizzard before
I've never seen a snowstorm this intense before.
I've got to get home
I really need to leave now and head back to my house.
Baby, you'll freeze out there
I'm worried that it's too cold outside and that you won't be warm enough.
Say, lend me a coat
Can I borrow one of your coats so that I won't freeze outside?
It's up to your knees out there
The snow is so deep that it's up to your knees outside.
You've really been grand
You've been really wonderful to me tonight, and I appreciate it.
I thrill when you touch my hand
I love it when you touch me; it gives me goosebumps.
But don't you see?
Can't you understand why I have to go?
How can you do this thing to me?
You're making it really difficult for me to leave; I want to stay with you.
There's bound to be talk tomorrow
People are going to talk if I stay over too late tonight.
Think of my lifelong sorrow
I don't want to disappoint my family by staying over too late and causing them worry and anxiety.
At least there will be plenty implied
Even if we don't do anything wrong, people will assume that something happened.
If you caught pneumonia and died
If something bad happened to you because I convinced you to stay, I would feel terrible.
I really can't stay
I want to stay, but I know I can't.
Get over that holdout
Stop being so stubborn and let me go.
Baby, it's cold outside
I don't want to go outside in this freezing weather.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Loesser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind