“Santa Baby”: Eartha Kitt Is the Sultry Christmas Gold Digger. Or Is She?

“Santa Baby” breaks with tradition, infuses the festive season with cheeky sex appeal, and shows how an artist can get away with bloody murder… at Christmas! This is nothing short of a feat that only one voice could accomplish: Eartha Kitt’s.

Capital Sin – irresistible cheekiness/ sensual audacity

Song – “Santa Baby” (1953)

Decades before Mariah Carey’s “All I Want from Christmas Is You” became a holiday phenomenon, another female voice had already famously shown us the magic of Christmas in a very seductive tone: Eartha Kitt. While the former is incredibly fixated on a single gift (“you”), the latter has an inconceivable wish list. Speaking of which, did I catch your attention with the words ‘gold digger’? Despite appearances and the type of gifts Ms Kitt’s character requests from Santa Claus, I find the ‘gold digger’ stamp inappropriate. But more on that later.

“Santa Baby” is, first and foremost, a brilliant song and clear proof that music artists can get away with bloody murder. How else would such a luxurious Christmas list stand the test of time? And when it comes to Christmas songs, that is nothing short of a feat.

“Santa Baby”: a song that fitted Eartha Kitt like a glove

Not every artist has the privilege of having a Christmas song written just for them. Eartha Kitt experienced that and made it a success. However, not everyone was confident about that possibility, including one of the writers.

Kitt’s record label, RCA Victor Records, commissioned Joan Javits and Philip Springer to write “Santa Baby”. Upon the song’s 65^th anniversary in 2018, Springer told Billboard he had never anticipated its popularity when he and Javits first wrote it. He even apologised to the publisher when he submitted the first draft saying, “it wasn’t one of my greatest melodies”. Fortunately, they told Springer what we already know: “Phil, [‘Santa Baby’] is great’.

However, even with all the songwriters’ talent, “Santa Baby” wouldn’t have become a Christmas classic without Eartha Kitt. The cheeky sensuality Kitt exudes is simply irreproducible. Others have tried to replicate it throughout the years with numerous covers, but not one surpasses the original. Sorry Madonna, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, Gwen Stefani, and others: your version is just not it.

Don’t take it so seriously: “Santa Baby” was just fun… It didn’t mean anything!

Sensual, sexy, provocative, mellow, and sultry are adjectives that come to mind when I think about Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby”. No wonder she later starred as Catwoman in the final season of the Batman TV series (1967). But the similarities between Kitt and her character in the Christmas song were closer than the songwriters imagined. Wealthy men offering her luxurious gifts was a typical Tuesday for Eartha Kitt. Ok, probably that didn’t happen weekly, but the singer/actress had her fair share of sugar daddy relationships. Apparently, it’s all detailed in Eartha & Kitt, a memoir written by her daughter, Kitt Shapiro. I say ‘apparently’ because I haven’t read it yet. If you have, please let me know more about it in the comments.

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Despite the extravagant gifts, Eartha Kitt was far from being a money grabber, gold digger, or any other label of the sort. Firstly, her sugar daddies weren’t looking for a serious relationship anyway (surprise, surprise!). Secondly, despite appreciating the fine things in life, Ms Kitt was not a ‘material girl’, as she put it clearly in an interview with Studs Terkel in 1962:

“Well, it’s a wonderful feeling that I get from singing about the grand Cadillac cars and the mink coats because it is so completely different than I am really. I mean, everyone loves to have mink coats. I cannot say that I do not want these things or do not have a desire for them, but the thing that is basically the person is not always the person who is more expressive in the things that they sing about. For instance, to me, the song is funnier to me because I’m not really that way”.

Eartha Kitt

Clarified? A song like “Santa Baby” was just fun for Eartha Kitt; it didn’t really mean anything! Hum… these words sound familiar. I digress…

How Eartha Kitt gets away with murder in “Santa Baby”

As far as I know, no human being or wallet was harmed in the making of “Santa Baby”. Having said that, this is a brilliant Christmas classic that shows how a music artist can brazenly get away with murder. Actually, not any music artist: Eartha Kitt.

Can you imagine any other situation in which you’d feel slightly entertained by listening to someone else’s exuberant Christmas list? Let’s see:

• A sable.
• A light blue 54 convertible.
• A yacht (which Kitt’s character assures it’s really ‘not a lot’).
• A deed to a platinum mine (now she’s pushing it!).
• A duplex and checks.
• Tiffany’s decorations for the Christmas tree.
• A ring.

I’m surprised Eartha Kitt doesn’t describe the ring. However, considering her character’s expensive taste, I suppose it’d be shiny and heavy.

A song that stirs up controversy will often achieve… success!

To be fair, when “Santa Baby” came out, not everyone was amused, and the song did stir up some controversy. Suddenly, there it was, a brand-new Christmas tune that dared to break with tradition: it’s not intended for children, nor does it evoke the nostalgia of the season. “Santa Baby” is a song for adults who also want and deserve to have fun at Christmas. Eartha Kitt’s wish list is extravagant, but who hasn’t had one growing up? Children do it all the time. Or are you going to tell me that ‘Santa’ satisfies all kids’ wants and desires? No, ‘Santa’ also has a budget. But children are entitled to dream. And what “Santa Baby” tells us is that adults shouldn’t shy away from voicing their dreams too.

What’s so wrong about “Santa Baby”, anyway? In the 1950’s, the sexy gold digger stance shocked some politicians and led to some southern radio stations in the US banning it from their airwaves. Luckily, their dislike didn’t spread to the rest of the country (or the world, for that matter), and “Santa Baby” became the top-selling Christmas song of the year. Nothing like a good old-fashioned polemic to arouse people’s interest!

Using sensuality as currency: is it a Christmas sin?

Is sensuality used as currency here? Well, yes. However, “Santa Baby” doesn’t sound as outrageous from a 21^st-century perspective. Let’s face it: how many examples are there in history of women and men using their sex appeal and physical strength to accomplish their goals? I’m not condoning, nor do I encourage the practice. But let’s not be disingenuous and pretend the premise behind “Santa Baby” is new. It is not, and Eartha Kitt performs it with flair and a witty sense of greed. If “Don’t hate the player, Hate the game” were a Christmas song, this one would be it.

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Moreover, Eartha Kitt’s character’s expensive taste is no concern of mine. She is entitled to ask for the most incredible gifts, which fits in well with the most commercialised holiday of the year. In the end, it’s just a list.

I understand the issue of her expecting another person to provide her with a luxurious lifestyle in exchange for the possibility of physical pleasure. Nevertheless, I hear no promises. Besides, she dutifully followed Father Christmas’ cardinal rule: she’s “been an awful good girl” and “an angel all year”. Therefore, Santa Claus must “hurry down the chimney tonight”, whoever he is. That’s the deal. Oh, and he must not forget the ring because, as it seems, there’s another deal to be closed.

I never thought I’d say this, but Eartha Kitt deserves to get away with murder with “Santa Baby”. May we all be as ambitious, bold, imaginative, and vocal when expressing our desires and expectations in life. It’s good to be realistic, but reckless dreaming animates the soul! Just be careful what you wish for…

Never Date an Artist because they are sirens reincarnated. They will disarm you with their wittiness, charming personality, unreasonable requests, and seducing voice. You’ll soon fall under their spell, sing along, and get into deep water. The Greeks tried to warn us, and we didn’t listen. Listen to me, then, if you dare.

Which other examples do you know of songs where artists have managed to get away with murder? If the words they sing didn’t belong to a massive hit, they’d be facing the music. Does it ring a bell? Then share your thoughts in the comments or click here to send a private message.