Anakhnu Lo Tzarichim by Shlomo Artzi: meaning, lyrics and Hebrew you can learn
'Anakhnu Lo Tzarichim' ('We Don't Need') is Shlomo Artzi's first signature song, recorded for his 1970 debut album and revived on the 1998 album 'Ahavtam'. Words by Avi Koren, music by Shmuel Imberman: people who have already wept dry and scarred a thousand times ask for almost nothing — rain in its time, spring flowers, a loved one's return. It is one of the quietest, most Israeli prayers in the songbook.
What the title means
אֲנַחְנוּ (anachnu) = we. לֹא (lo) = not. צְרִיכִים (tzarichim) = need / require (plural masculine). Together: 'we don't need' — and the whole song is a list of how little that is.
The title is also the last line of every chorus: 'יוֹתֵר מִזֶּה אֲנַחְנוּ לֹא צְרִיכִים' — 'more than this we do not need.'
The song and Shlomo Artzi
Shlomo Artzi (b. 1949, Tel Aviv) is Israel's most prolific solo star: 30+ albums, 1.5 million copies sold, and decades of marathon stadium concerts. 'Anakhnu Lo Tzarichim' was his debut single and gave his first album its name — a remarkably restrained start for a performer who would become known for explosive live shows.
The song draws on biblical imagery: 'give the rain in its time' echoes the daily prayer for seasonal rain, and 'cypresses' (ברושים) are the trees planted in Israeli cemeteries, making the line 'we buried our hearts among cypresses' a quietly devastating image of grief.
Vocabulary from the song
- גֶשֶׁם geshem — rain
- אָבִיב aviv — spring
- פְּרָחִים prachim — flowers
- דִּמְעוֹת dim'ot — tears
- צְלָקוֹת tzla'kot — scars
- בְּרוֹשִׁים broshim — cypress trees
- תְּפִילָּה tefila — prayer
- בַּיִת bayit — home / house
Practise it on Shir-ly
Anakhnu Lo Tzarichim is fully word-synced on Shir-ly with nikud, transliteration and translations, plus games built from its own lines: fill the blanks, scrambled line, prepositions, verb conjugation, everyday sentences and a Shlomo Artzi culture quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What does Anakhnu Lo Tzarichim mean?
'We don't need' — אֲנַחְנוּ (we) + לֹא (not) + צְרִיכִים (need). The song lists how little is truly needed.
Who sings Anakhnu Lo Tzarichim?
Shlomo Artzi, Israel's most prolific solo singer. It was his 1970 debut single.
Who wrote the words and music?
Words by Avi Koren, music by Shmuel Imberman.
What does 'rain in its time' mean?
גֶשֶׁם בְּעִתּוֹ — a reference to the Jewish prayer for rain to fall in its proper winter season, a sign of blessing.