What bothers me more than anything is the total lack of respect for lyricist Joan Javits who produced one of the only hit Christmas songs written by a woman. Eartha’s original take on it will always be the best. The goofy Canadian crooner should have left this classic alone. I’ve always admired singers (usually folk) who leave the original gender as is. Imagine if Joan Baez had rewritten the lyrics to “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"? Virgil Caine becomes Vera and it would’ve gone downhill from there. She did very well with that song as written. Now, of course, it’s controversial for its sympathetic view of the Confederate sensibility. Some artists are changing the lyrics to make it more “woke.” I think that’s a mistake. I think if it bothers someone to sing a song as written, maybe they shouldn’t sing it at all.