We rank 20 Versions of ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’

20. Jimmy Buffett & Nadirah Shakoor

It’s always fun when the parts are reversed in “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with the female requesting the male stays just a little bit more. However, in this version of the song by Jimmy Buffett with the female vocalist from his band, Nadirah Shakoor, something is just a bit off. Maybe it’s the fact that is sounds like every other Jimmy Buffett song out there. It’s not a bad thing, but the luau vibe doesn’t necessarily help get you into the Christmas spirit.

However, giving “Baby It’s Cold Outside” more of an island flair helps make the lyrics more believable. I don’t want Buffett to go outside during a blizzard, and I really do believe he will get pneumonia and die. This is a person who you associate with islands and margaritas, not icy roads and bad weather. Please listen to your friend, Jimmy.

Buffett’s version changes some of the lyrics to include, “My puppy will start to worry” rather than, “My father will start to worry.” At one point, “baby” is replaced with “bubba”. The changes are cutesy and might take away from some of the perceived ick factor of the song for some people.

Despite the fact that Buffett and Shakoor have been singing together for years, the chemistry that usually accompanies “Baby It’s Cold Outside” seems to be lacking here. It’s a song that sounds like it’s sung by two work acquaintances rather than lovers (which in this case, it is).