YACHT is a musical moniker created by electronic musician and multimedia ar… Read Full Bio ↴YACHT is a musical moniker created by electronic musician and multimedia artist Jonathan Warren Bechtolt (A.K.A. Jona Bechtolt, born December 2, 1980). YACHT has since 2009 included musician, writer and media artist Claire Evans whose vocals had been featured on previous YACHT recordings (I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real). YACHT is based in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Bechtolt was born in Astoria, Oregon and began playing music as a teenager, dropping out of high school to play drums in his brother's touring punk band. He started working with electronics in the late 1990s and began releasing solo records under the name YACHT in 2003. Nearly all of his recordings have been distributed by both Marriage Records and States Rights Records.

Claire Evans came of age playing in bands in the underground noise scene of Los Angeles, and was part of the Portland-based The World Court. She has presented her PowerPoint performances at MoMA PS1, The Kitchenand the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and has collaborated with Bechtolt on literally hundreds of projects since they met in 2004.

In 2003, Bechtolt was commissioned to create a full length audio/visual electronic pop opera by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). He performed with his group The Badger King with bandmate Marianna Ritchie (a Wolf Colonel and Dear Nora alumnus who went on to record alone as Manta, and then Mantar).

In 2006, Bechtolt collaborated with Khaela Maricich as half of the pop group The Blow to release Paper Television. Bechtolt toured extensively with The Blow, providing beats and backup vocals until quitting the band in 2007 in order to focus on his work in YACHT.

In January 2006, Bechtolt was commissioned for two performances for the New York based art and technology platform Rhizome, as part of their "Crap-tops vs Laptops" show. In February 2006, he performed at the Museum of Modern Art's P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center and produced an hour-long internet radio program with Clear Cut Press; a Northwest-based publisher of new literary work.

In 2007, for the release party for YACHT's album I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real, Bechtolt performed a concert on an actual yacht on the Willamette River in Portland.

The 2009 release, See Mystery Lights, was the first to feature Claire Evans as a group member.

YACHT live performances include dancing as well as elaborate PowerPoint presentations. Bechtolt documents his professional and sometimes personal life via video, text, and images on his blog.

In 2010, YACHT expanded to include The Straight Gaze; a backing band of 2 additional members. Bobby Birdman plays bass guitar and sings backing vocals while Jeffrey Jerusalem plays drums. In this incarnation Bechtolt and Evans both play instruments.

Bechtolt is a co-founder of the Portland-based popular blogging web community Urban Honking as well as the producer, editor, cameraman and a writer of The Ultimate Blogger.

Both Bechtolt and Evans are vegans.

Sites: YouTube, SoundCloud, Discogs, Wikipedia, Twitter and www.teamYACHT.com

Jerusalem
Yacht Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We celebrate the wars we won
The blood of history's ancient sons
We followed judah maccabee
We fought against iniquity
We saved ourselves with help from one
Who loves his children, everyone
Everyone, everyone
Everyone, everyone

So now jerusalem, you know that it's not right
After all you've been through, you should know better than
To become the wicked ones almighty god once saved you from

The lessons we should learn from all
The fighting in the days of old
When providence was still divine
The sanctuary purified
Let lightning circle all you hold
And don't uproot the olive grove

So now jerusalem, you know that it's not right
After all you've been through, you should know better than
To become the wicked ones almighty god once saved you from

So now jerusalem, you know that it's not right

After all you've been through, you should know better than
To become the wicked ones almighty god once saved you from

Overall Meaning

The song "Jerusalem" by Yacht reflects on the historical conflicts and struggles for power in the holy city. The lyrics start by celebrating the victories of wars past, recognizing the bloodshed that has contributed to history. The reference to Judah Maccabee, a Jewish priest who led the revolt against the Seleucid Empire, is a nod to the Jewish people's fight against oppression and their triumph over adversity.

The song takes a turn in the chorus, warning Jerusalem not to become the same type of oppressor that God once saved them from. The lyrics suggest that rather than repeating the violent history of the past, the city should learn from those lessons and pursue justice through peaceful means. The reference to the sanctuary being purified alludes to the idea of spiritual purification and the recognition that true change and growth come from within.

Overall, "Jerusalem" is a call to remember the past while also looking towards a brighter future. It recognizes the complexities of history and conflict while expressing a desire for a world where justice can be achieved without bloodshed.

Line by Line Meaning

We celebrate the wars we won
We glorify our victories in battles.

The blood of history's ancient sons
We recognize the sacrifice made by our forefathers in the past.

We followed judah maccabee
We were led by Judah Maccabee during the war.

We fought against iniquity
We fought against evil and injustice.

We saved ourselves with help from one
We were able to save ourselves with the help of God.

Who loves his children, everyone
God is loving towards all of his children.

Everyone, everyone
This love is not limited to a select few, but extends to everyone.

So now jerusalem, you know that it's not right
Jerusalem is now reminded that their current actions are not acceptable.

After all you've been through, you should know better than
Considering everything that has happened in Jerusalem's history, they should know better.

To become the wicked ones almighty god once saved you from
They should not become the very same evil that God once saved them from.

The lessons we should learn from all
We can learn important lessons from the past.

The fighting in the days of old
Especially from the battles fought in ancient times.

When providence was still divine
When God's guidance and intervention were still evident.

The sanctuary purified
And when the holy sanctuary was still pure and sacred.

Let lightning circle all you hold
May God's power and protection surround everything we have.

And don't uproot the olive grove
And don't destroy the sources of life and sustenance.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES KERR, CHARLES BURCHILL, MICHAEL JOSEPH MACNEIL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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