Before he started his solo career, he was in indie rock band The Junes, and he was in the band of the popular Dutch singer Ilse deLange.
Signed to the 8Ball record label, Bertolf released his first album For Life in early 2009, followed the next year by Snakes And Ladders. 2012 saw the release of the epnymous Bertolf album. 2015's First & Then was his final album for 8Ball.
Between 2014 and 2018 a large chunk of Bertolf's time was devoted to touring as a member of the tribute band, Her Majesty. Named after the closing track of The Beatles' Abbey Road album, they especially gained prominence when they started performing the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (and other artists from their scene), to rave reviews in the Dutch press.
In the mean time, Bertolf signed with Excelsior Recordings, where his fifth and sixth solo albums were issued: the somewhat gloomy Big Shadows of Small Things (2019) and the very sunny, colorful, upbeat and particularly well-received Happy in Hindsight (2021).
Jericho
Bertolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My hands are freezing cold.
Squeezing blood from stones.
Still I won't let go.
I'll lay siege to you.
Till the horns will blow.
And your walls come down, oh, Jericho.
I'll surround your house.
I'm gonna split the shield
Yes, I know I'll cross.
The distance that you keep.
I'll lay siege to you.
I will starve the guard.
Seven times I'll march around your heart.
And I'll give a shout.
When the horns will blow.
Till your walls come down, oh, Jericho.
La la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la la la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la la la la la.
I'll lay siege to you.
I will starve the guard.
Seven times I'll march around your heart.
And I'll give a shout.
When the horns will blow.
Till your walls come down, oh, Jericho.
Yeah, Jericho.
The lyrics to Bertolf's song "Jericho" are about someone who is determined to break down the walls of the person they love, even if it means enduring pain and discomfort. The first few lines express physical discomfort, with the singer mentioning brittle bones and freezing hands. Yet despite this, they are unwilling to let go of their goal, and are willing to "squeeze blood from stones" to achieve it.
The metaphorical language of the song becomes clear in the chorus, where the singer describes laying siege to their love interest, like an army surrounding a city. They will continue to chip away at the defenses until the walls come down, like the city of Jericho in the Bible. The repetition of the phrase "I'll lay siege to you" and the image of marching around the heart seven times give the song a sense of ritual and determination.
Overall, the lyrics of "Jericho" convey a sense of intense longing and perseverance in the face of obstacles. The imagery of warfare and siege makes the song feel slightly aggressive, but the melody and gentle backing vocals soften the tone and convey a sense of vulnerability and yearning.
Line by Line Meaning
It hurts my brittle bones.
I am feeling weak and unsteady.
My hands are freezing cold.
I am physically uncomfortable and possibly anxious.
Squeezing blood from stones.
I am struggling to get what I need from a difficult situation.
Still I won't let go.
Despite the challenges, I am determined to keep trying.
I'll lay siege to you.
I will persistently pursue you.
Till the horns will blow.
I will not give up until I achieve my goal.
And your walls come down, oh, Jericho.
I will break down your defenses and reach you.
I'll surround your house.
I will encircle and trap you.
I'm gonna split the shield
I will find a way to overcome your defenses.
Yes, I know I'll cross.
I am confident that I will succeed in reaching you.
The distance that you keep.
I recognize that you are keeping your distance from me.
I will starve the guard.
I will find a way to weaken your defenses and gain access to you.
Seven times I'll march around your heart.
I will be persistent, even when it seems difficult or impossible.
And I'll give a shout.
I will celebrate when I finally reach you.
When the horns will blow.
I will know that I have succeeded.
Till your walls come down, oh, Jericho.
I will not rest until I have broken through to you.
La la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la la la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la la la la la.
I'll lay siege to you.
I will persistently pursue you.
I will starve the guard.
I will find a way to weaken your defenses and gain access to you.
Seven times I'll march around your heart.
I will be persistent, even when it seems difficult or impossible.
And I'll give a shout.
I will celebrate when I finally reach you.
When the horns will blow.
I will know that I have succeeded.
Till your walls come down, oh, Jericho.
I will not rest until I have broken through to you.
Yeah, Jericho.
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
josvlietstra
Great song, great artist, Bertolff you've done it again !
Scarecrow music
lovely melody, makes me smile
Adriaan Hofstra
Goede tekst en lekker nummer (thumbs up)
Tjeerd Bakker
For the tabs of this number, you have to look at his twitter... He shared pictures with the tabs a while ago :)
edj2106
Lekker engels man "number"... Denk eens na voordat je jezelf voorschut zet
Anne Catharina
Geweldig hoor
Hilly Kalter
Geweldig! En alles werkt prima......
Jasper de Winter
GE-WEL-DIG!
NicolaFirmager
❤❤❤❤
De Buitenpianist
tof!!!