Who doesn’t love music?!

Listening to music in Hebrew is a low-pressure way to immerse yourself in the Hebrew language, without putting in too much effort. You don’t need to sit and concentrate on the lyrics; just let the music play and enjoy the sounds as you do whatever it is you normally do while listening to music.

In case you’re not familiar with Hebrew music or artists, I’ve created this list of 10 [fairly] simple Hebrew songs. The songs on this list aren’t necessarily my favorites – I like all of them, but there are lots of Hebrew songs I like more – but I included these for two main reasons: (1) I was able to find the lyrics in both Hebrew and English; and (2) the songs are slow enough so you can hear the words clearly, and eventually learn to pronounce them/sing along.

Feel free to explore Hebrew songs beyond this list – you’re not limited to just these 10! Browse Spotify or YouTube for Hebrew music/Israeli artists, and find the genres that are similar to ones that you enjoy in English. Some of my favorite artists include  Cafe Shachor Chazak (קפה שחור חזק), Subliminal (סאבלימינל), Ben Blackwell (בן בלאקוואל), Eliad (אליעד), Hatikva 6 (6 התקווה), and Sarit Hadad (שרית חדד).

But anyway, on to our list – here are 10 easy Hebrew songs you can start with (in no particular order):

1. עָשִׁיר – Ashir by Los Caparos

“Rich” is an easy song to learn because so many of the lines repeat; you can also learn very common Hebrew verbs in their infinitive forms. Lyrics

2. יֶלֶד שֶׁל אַבָּא – Yeled Shel Aba by Moki

“Daddy’s Son” is an expression of love from a father to his son, encouraging him, preparing him for the world ahead, and promising that he will always be by his son’s side. Lyrics

3. בּוֹאִי – Bo’i by Idan Raichel

“Come” is an Idan Raichel song that also samples some Ethiopian music & has some Amharic lyrics. (Lyric video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6p9DDQLtI

4. מָחָר – Machar by Mordechai Shapiro

“Tomorrow” is a catchy song about letting go of the past and looking forward to the future (tomorrow). Plus there’s some English at the end! (Lyrics video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQhMzFVfC3Y

5. לֵב חוֹפְשִׁי – Lev Chofshi by Moki

“Free Heart” is about feeling free – no worries, no restraints. Lyrics

6. נוֹסֵעַ – Nosei’a by Eliad

“Traveling” is a “I’m heartbroken so I need to drive and think” kinda song. The English lyrics aren’t perfect, but they come close enough. (Lyrics video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkHEgsa-I0U

7. בָּעוֹלָם שֶׁלָה – Ba’olam Shelah by Hatikva6

“In Her World” is a song promising dedication and protection to a lucky lady. Lyrics

8. סִלְסוּלִים – Silsulim by Static & Ben-El

This was a HUGE hit a few summers ago – I was teaching in Israel Summer 2016 and the kids were singing it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. “Silsulim” – not to be confused with shilshulim, which means diarrhea – refers to that trilling sound you hear in the chorus. I can’t explain it – just watch the video! Lyrics

9. מִילִים יָפוֹת מֵאֵלֶה – Milim Yafot Me’eleh by Idan Raichel

“Words Prettier Than These” is another Idan Raichel song that samples Ethiopian music & includes Amharic lyrics. Lyrics

Songs for Hebrew learning (borei olam sarit hadad, ulai nedaber – nadav; ahavah shalom v’emunah – kafe shachor chazaq; shir shel rega echad

10. מְדָבְּרִים לְאַט – Medabrim B’sheket by Idan Raichel

“Speaking Silently” is a sweet song that reminisces on a love; a note about the English lyrics, it should be “speak TO me,” not “about me.” (Lyrics video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OLU-n2sAyU

Songs for Hebrew learning (borei olam sarit hadad, ulai nedaber – nadav; ahavah shalom v’emunah – kafe shachor chazaq; shir shel rega echad

BONUS #11: חַיִים בְּסֶרֶט – Chaim Beseret by Los Caparos

“Chaim Beseret” is a phrase that translates literally to “live in a movie,” and it means to be delusional or out of touch with reality. I couldn’t find English lyrics for this song, but it’s simple enough that I wanted to include it – plus I really like it. You can find the Hebrew lyrics here and translate the whole thing in Google Translate to get the gist of the song.

Happy listening! In a few days I’m going to tell you how to incorporate songs into your regular Hebrew study schedule – stay tuned. Don’t forget to take the poll below!

Until next time,
💙 T’helah