John Legend and Kelly Clarkson update Baby, It's Cold Outside

John Legend and Kelly Clarkson have recorded a new version of Baby, It's Cold Outside — but it's a very different take than the original.

Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony-winning artist Legend and actor-comedian Natasha Rothwell rewrote the song, with the "reimagined" version described as "a modern and irreverent narrative" by Sony Music.  

Instead of the man trying to coerce the tipsy woman to stay at his place, for instance, he calls her a ride and thanks her for a lovely evening.

"I really can't stay." ("Baby, it's cold outside.")

"I've gotta go away." ("I can call you a ride.")

"This evening has been..." ("So glad that you dropped in...")

"...so very nice." ("...time spent with you is paradise.")

"My mother will start to worry. ("I'll call a car and tell 'em to hurry.")

Other revamped lyrics to the track, which Legend previewed during an interview with Vanity Fair, include:

"What will my friends think..." ("I think they should rejoice.") 

"...if I have one more drink?" ("It's your body, and your choice.")

The track is one of four new songs that will appear on the upcoming deluxe edition of Legend's 2018 album, A Legendary Christmas, out November 8.

A holiday classic since receiving an Oscar for its inclusion in the 1950 film Neptune's Daughter,  Baby, It's Cold Outside has been covered countless times by a wide range of singers, from Ray Charles and Betty Carter to Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart to Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The song has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years over lyrics some find inappropriate in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Last year, some broadcasters in Canada and the U.S. chose to pull the track from holiday playlists. Some, including CBC, eventually reinstated the song after audience feedback.