Strange Fruit

Billie Holiday

About Strange Fruit

"Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem and published in 1937, it protested American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had reached a peak in the South at the turn of the century, but continued there and in other regions of the United States. The great majority of victims were black. The song's lyrics are an extended metaphor linking a tree's fruit with lynching victims. Meeropol set it to music and, with his wife and the singer Laura Duncan, performed it as a protest song in New York City venues in the late 1930s, including Madison Square Garden. The song continues to be covered by numerous artists, including Nina Simone, UB40, Jeff Buckley, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robert Wyatt and Dee Dee Bridgewater and has inspired novels, other poems, and other creative works. In 1978, Holiday's version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. It was also dubbed "a declaration of war ... the beginning of the civil rights movement". 


Year:
1986
3:03
2,000 
#2

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Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

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Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Harris April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. more »

6 fans

Written by: Abel Meeropol

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Composer
The song "Strange Fruit" wasn't initially written by Billie Holiday, Nina Simone or UB40. Its original author was Abel Meeropol, a Jewish teacher and songwriter from the Bronx, New York.
Literary Origin
"Strange Fruit" was initially a poem written by Meeropol, published under the pen name Lewis Allan in 1937.
Initial Record
The song was first performed and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939.
Purpose
The song originally was a protest against the horrors of racism, specifically, the lynching of African Americans in the United States. The "strange fruit" mentioned in the song are the victims of lynching.
Risk
Billie Holiday's label, Columbia Records, refused to record "Strange Fruit" due to its controversial theme. Holiday was eventually able to record it on Commodore, a much smaller label.
Legacy
"Strange Fruit" is one of Billie Holiday's most well-known and powerful songs. She would often close her performances with this song.
Recognition
"Strange Fruit" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978.
Cover by Nina Simone
Nina Simone covered "Strange Fruit" in her 1965 album, "Pastel Blues". Simone's version is a poignant and powerful rendition that strengthened her role in the Civil Rights Movement.
UB40 Version
British reggae band UB40 also recorded a cover of "Strange Fruit" in their 1980 album, "Signing Off". Their version put a reggae spin on the historic song and helped introduce it to a new generation.
Impact
This dire ballad, through its painful and vivid imagery, helped to raise awareness of the struggle for Civil Rights in America, and continues to be referenced and covered in contemporary music today, cementing its place as a significant piece of cultural history.
Recreation
The notable artists including Tori Amos, Jeff Buckley, and Jill Scott among many others have also covered "Strange Fruit", each bringing a different interpretation and tone to the haunting song.
Contemporary Relevance
The song was sampled in Kanye West's song, "Blood on the Leaves", again pointing to the enduring significance of "Strange Fruit".

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