Why should I care? / Shalom Hanoch

Shalom Hanoch is a major Israeli artist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s, as part of Israel's first generation of rock artists. This movement swept away the collectivism, the major feature of prior Israeli culture. As much a part of this movement as any other artist, Hanoch's lyrics ("Why should I care?", "Love of my Youth") have, however, became defining narratives of a whole generation.

תן לצעוק, תן ללמוד,
תן לצחוק ותן לשמוע.
תן לחיות ותן לטעות
תן לעצמך לסלוח.
פשוט לאהוב.

Let me learn, and let me shout;
let me fail and let me live;
let me laugh and stick about;
let yourself forgive.
Just to love, and no more.
(Tr. by yours humbly)

I wonder whom Hanoch is addressing. I recall a similar passage out of my beloved Leah Goldberg -

למדני ה' ברך והפלל
על סוד עלה קמל על נגה פרי בשל
על החרות הזאת: לראות, לחוש לנשום
לדעת, לייחל, להיכשל

This video presents the canonic recording of this song, by Hanoch and Arik Einstein (as well as "moral support" by their friend Uri Zohar).