Portions for Foxes: Le Butcherettes

"Portions for Foxes" is a series of weekly posts, each about one song by a woman or a band led by a woman. See the introduction for more.

I'm pretty sure this is a song about sex. What I don't know is how we're supposed to take it. Le Butcherettes are a loud, raucous band - maybe I should say "were;" I'm not sure if they're still together, though they're the kind of band that's mostly one person and her collaborators at the time - and this is a loud, demanding song.

This week, it's Tonight.

He just stares but it's not staring
It's sin tonight

The music is pulsing, compelling. The singer - bandleader Teri Gender Bender - is insistent, about a "he" and a "you" (who is probably also "honey") and what they're going to do - all of it in vaguely mixed violent/sexual terms. He and you might be different people - "you" might be another target of "he." Or maybe not. Or maybe both.

Tonight, honey
In my mouth, in my thigh
In my rib, in my backside
In the middle of my sleep

And the fascinating part is that it's not at all clear whether the singer likes this or hates it. Or, again and more likely, both. It's a loud, punky, short song that shouts and growls and screams, raising tension that it has no intention of releasing. It's all set in that moment of desire - someone else's desire - about being the target and the focus of attention.

And short songs can be great at just providing that moment, that feeling - doing one thing and doing it well. This one does.