Santa Baby

"Santa Baby" was written by Joan Javits (niece of US Senator Jacob Javits) and composer Philip Springer in 1953. The song was tailor-made for Eartha Kitt, whose smoky, purring vocal style was perfect for the role of a woman playfully seducing Santa into bringing her extravagant gifts — a sable fur, a yacht, the deed to a platinum mine.

Kitt's original recording is a masterclass in vocal performance: coy, knowing, and dripping with irony. The song is simultaneously a wish list and a parody of materialism, delivered with such wit that it's impossible to tell where sincerity ends and satire begins. This ambiguity is the song's genius — it can be read as greedy or as a tongue-in-cheek send-up of holiday consumerism.

The song was considered somewhat scandalous in the conservative 1950s, but its charm and humour ensured its survival. It has since been covered by dozens of artists, most notably Madonna (1987) and Taylor Swift (2007). Eartha Kitt re-recorded it as "Santa Baby 2" in 1963, and the song has become one of the most recognizable holiday standards — the rare Christmas song that's glamorous, funny, and a little bit naughty.