Kingston Trio – Chilly Winds lyrics

As ever in poetry or the lyrics of a song there is a metre which, to a greater or lesser extent, means text has to be manipulated to fit. In the very best literature not only is manipulation not obvious but a single word can take on two or three meanings simultaneously. Less intense work often results in ambiguity.
In Chilly Winds consider the ambiguity which separates my understanding of the song from my partner’s and are the differences down to semantics or perhaps different life experience?

What meaning should be ascribed to the word “baby“ in the first verse? My partner sees it as the term of endearment used widely in popular songs: “Baby, it’s cold outside”, “Hold on to me, babe.”, “Aint no use calling out my name, babe”
Ok thus far but nothing else supports that view. Let:s say she is calling him “baby” - then, clearly, has feelings for him. And he has loved her “more than (she) will ever know” - without ever saying anything? And even though she calls him baby and he loves her he is leaving and might not come back. Why? Doesn’t make sense. Can’t be because he is already in another relationship because he intends to find “a true love” when he has left.

My understanding requires supposition but supposition which at least is plausible. Two people in love had to part, presumably having promised themselves to one another. Perhaps he went prospecting for gold. A more common theme took him off to war. He may have been reported missing, perhaps been taken pow. In any case he’s been away a long time and long enough for her to have given up hope of his return, unless as he thinks, she wasn’t true to him.

In any event she chose to marry someone else in his absence and now has a child, an actual baby. He watches her singing a lullaby before going away leaving her to her life as it now is.
Sadly he speaks of finding someone who will be true. Turning to go and having watched her sing to another man’s child he would likely feel a shiver or an actual chilly wind and not know the difference.

As ever in poetry or the lyrics of a song there is a metre which, to a greater or lesser extent, means text has to be manipulated to fit. In the very best literature not only is manipulation not obvious but a single word can take on two or three meanings simultaneously. Less intense work often results in ambiguity.
In Chilly Winds consider the ambiguity which separates my understanding of the song from my partner’s and are the differences down to semantics or perhaps different life experience?

What meaning should be ascribed to the word “baby“ in the first verse? My partner sees it as the term of endearment used widely in popular songs: “Baby, it’s cold outside”, “Hold on to me, babe.”, “Aint no use calling out my name, babe”
Ok thus far but nothing else supports that view. Let:s say she is calling him “baby” - then, clearly, has feelings for him. And he has loved her “more than (she) will ever know” - without ever saying anything? And even though she calls him baby and he loves her he is leaving and might not come back. Why? Doesn’t make sense. Can’t be because he is already in another relationship because he intends to find “a true love” when he has left.

My understanding requires supposition but supposition which at least is plausible. Two people in love had to part, presumably having promised themselves to one another. Perhaps he went prospecting for gold. A more common theme took him off to war. He may have been reported missing, perhaps been taken pow. In any case he’s been away a long time and long enough for her to have given up hope of his return, unless as he thinks, she wasn’t true to him.

In any event she chose to marry someone else in his absence and now has a child, an actual baby. He watches her singing a lullaby before going away leaving her to her life as it now is.
Sadly he speaks of finding someone who will be true. Turning to go and having watched her sing to another man’s child he would likely feel a shiver or an actual chilly wind and not know the difference.