I think about this song a lot every year. Most people my age find it creepy, rapey, and would prefer it be retired. Most people 10 years older than me think it’s innocent and romantic.

When it was written and popularized, nobody thought it was inappropriate. Not like “men just acted like that it’s how things were” but more “women just acted like that, it’s how things were.” Both the man and the woman know she’s going to stay, but she can’t just say yes, she has to be convinced. She has to pretend she can’t, she has to give excuses, because women can’t just come and say they are going to spend the night with a man. it’s unspoken understanding, and if he actually let her go, she would be crushed and furious with him.

It still think the song should be retired because it normalizes that behavior for children and we shouldn’t need an essay explaining that something used to be acceptable but isn’t now.

Baby it’s cold out side, here take this jacket, take care. *shuts door as to not let the cold in*