Love and Theft Return With the Smokey ‘Gimme Tonight’ [Listen]

There's something very film noir about Love and Theft's new single "Gimme Tonight." The progressive, one-night-kinda-love song finds the duo dangerously exploring the edges of country adventure.

Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson are stylists capable of creating dynamic country music that challenges tradition, but attracts dedicated fans. That's led to some hits and misses as far as radio singles go — "Runnin' Out of Air" and "You Didn't Want Me" both might have come too soon, while the less interesting, but well-crafted "Angel Eyes" became a No. 1 hit. With "Gimme Tonight," the pair go for broke once again, pinning an oft-told meetup story on a clap track, raw acoustic guitar and anthemic chorus. It's fair to wonder what genre the pair would fall in had they started in 2019, not 2009.

Lyrically this is a smokey, descriptive yearning that each member of the duo leans hard into, as if they'd lived it recently. A mildly psychedelic bridge offers more intrigue to a song that will have you tilting your head before you land on an opinion. "Gimme Tonight" is an original.

Did You Know? The late Andrew Dorff helped Jaren Johnston write "Gimme Tonight."

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Love and Theft's "Gimme Tonight" Lyrics: 

I see you looking at me, you see me looking at you / No I ain't with a girl and you ain't with a dude so let's boots on the floor / What else did we come here for / I know it's strange to get close to a stranger / But honey your heart ain't in no danger / Baby I swear / Forever's gotta start somewhere / But right now ...

Chorus: 
I just wanna dance with ya / Buy a couple of drinks for ya / Like whatever you're smoking on / And kiss that red right off of your lips / And get lost in your neon eyes / It's all about now / It's not about tomorrow, baby / Just gimme tonight.

Well yeah I wanna take your name / I wanna take your number / But girl right now its all about the thunder / Your base and your beat / Aw keep on keep on killing me / With your last call that don't mean nothing / We'll head to the house with a bottle of something / Holding onto the moon while I'm holding onto you.