“Portions for Foxes” by Rilo Kiley
“Portions for Foxes” is a sex song, though not of the lust variety, as such tracks tend to go. But the vocalist is acknowledging that she has a sexual dependency, or one may even say an addiction, on the addressee.
“Portions for Foxes”
That then brings us to the title of the song. It has been postulated that the term “portions for foxes” may have been inspired by a certain passage from the Book of Psalms. But in any event what that phrase easily points to, in both a literal and symbolic sense, is the notion of death. So when the vocalist puts forth in the bridge that “we’ll all be portions for foxes”, that’s another way of saying food for foxes, if you will, i.e. ‘corpses’ that these scavengers can partake of.
Now what Jenny apparently means by that, in context, is that for whatever reason both she and the addressee are less-than-ideal romantic interests. Or put otherwise, they should not be dealing with each other, as both are “bad news”.
I Don’t Want to be Lonely
Going back to the concept of this being a sex song, it’s as if despite the realization she and the addressee are not compatible, she can’t prevent herself from sleeping with them either way. But to reiterate, said desire doesn’t read like it is based on physical attraction per se. Rather, what she’s really dependent on is their association, despite also acknowledging that, in the grand scheme of her loneliness, that too is less than ideal. But then it’s like whenever they’re chillin’ with each other, chatting or what have you, one thing leads to another.
It has also been suggested that the singer’s, shall we say stoic disposition towards this romance is actually based on her partner being unfaithful. And when you look at the verses especially with that theory in mind, they do seem to make more sense, i.e. explaining why Jenny’s been “talking trash” in the first verse and explaining why she feels “alone”, whether the addressee is around or not, in the second.
In Conclusion
So this is an interesting song, to say the least – one which, all lyrics considered, may have deeper implications than what’s been discussed above. But what the wording, most generally interpreted, does seem to recognize, more than anything else, is the human need for companionship, or more specifically we can say in context for romance. And from the vocalist’s perspective, said relationship she is personally in is indeed toxic.But since Jenny ‘likes’ the addressee anyway, it’s as if she’s willing to take the good with the bad.
When was “Portions for Foxes” released?
“Portions for Foxes” is a song performed by American rock ensemble Rilo Kiley. This track is one of three singles issued from the band’s third studio album “More Adventurous”. It was released in 2004.
Credits
This track is recognized as written by two members of the group, Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett. The song’s production was done by renowned American record producer, Mark Trombino.
Media Usage
“Portions for Foxes” has been heard on several TV shows. An example of this is its usage in the medical drama series “Grey’s Anatomy”. It featured in the series first season. In addition, this track was included on the soundtrack to the music video game “Rock Band 3”.
The “More Adventurous” Album
“More Adventurous”, which is a follow-up to the group’s second full-length album “The Execution of All Things”, has an official release date of August 17 of 2004. Warner Records is the record label associated with the distribution of this album.
“It’s a Hit”, released in the summer of 2004, and “I Never”, released in 2005, are the project’s other singles.
“More Adventurous” was not a major hit in most parts of the world. However, it landed on the iconic Billboard 200 chart in the US. On said chart, the album peaked at number 161.
Famous Performances
On the American talk show “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” on 6th October, 2004.
During the Bonnaroo Music Festival on 11th June, 2005. The festival partnered with New Line Cinema that introduced “cinema tent”, where movies were shown. There was also a “comedy tent” for comedians to show their craft.
At T in the Park on 9th July, 2005. Foo Fighters headlined for Saturday and Green Day for Sunday.
Coachella on 26th April, 2008. Jack Johnson, Portishead and Roger Waters were some of the headliners for the music festival.
Coachella on 19th April, 2015. She was joined with fellow ex-band member Blake Sennet after six years. Artists such as Drake, Florence + the Machine and David Guetta performed that weekend.
