well that is exactly the thing, i always red "od hozer hanigun" (and i did red it before hearing it. as i red your previous tguvot about saharof's version) as a talk between the man (or the alterman) to himself, a very personal one, but yet very energetic.
for example - the thing about the sheep and the deer (but in the name form!) that will witness his stroke and then, will see him walking away.
well that line by itself justify rock (or bluz) version, but when he wrote - lightning shell pass above you - he was thinking about a version by saharof, no dout.