Billie Holiday — Strange Fruit
Album: Best of Billie HolidayAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 1446
Length: 3:00
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
Comments (63)add comment
Who gives this anything less than a 5?????????
One of the most poignant songs I have ever heard.
sunybuny wrote:
LOL.... not yet but give DeShitsus time.
Yeh, ban it but the world will never forget it..
LOL.... not yet but give DeShitsus time.
Yeh, ban it but the world will never forget it..
2ndgengeek1 wrote:
LOL.... not yet but give DeShitsus time.
Hasn't this song been banned in Florida, at least in the schools?
LOL.... not yet but give DeShitsus time.
2ndgengeek1 wrote:
Absolutely!
Hasn't this song been banned in Florida, at least in the schools?
Absolutely!
Hasn't this song been banned in Florida, at least in the schools?
Saddest song of all time.
markybx wrote:
I always read when I see this.
I always cry when I hear this
I always read when I see this.
Touwe wrote:
I have given 10. So, your 10 plus mine = 20 :)
Add my 10 to that
I have given 10. So, your 10 plus mine = 20 :)
Add my 10 to that
I have only recently heard this version. I have always loved the UB40 version that is on their first album, Signing Off (1980) , but Billie Holiday's version makes you stop life for 3 minutes
the sad thing is they still exist :(
Anything but solid 10!!
dray2009 wrote:
If I recall accurately, Mr. Meeropol & his wife took in the Rosenberg children after their parents were executed
If I recall accurately, Mr. Meeropol & his wife took in the Rosenberg children after their parents were executed
The murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin and others in the Minneapolis Police Department, on May 25, 2020, could be considered a lynching. So sad that we are still dealing with this horrendous race-crime in the 21st century.
rrowdies wrote:
Uh, yeah.
This has to be the darkest song I've ever heard
mgkiwi wrote:
No.
c.
Very haunting and a reminder of how wicked humans can be to each other.
I wonder if parts of the USA have ever moved on??
c.
This song, and just a few others, are why I don't rate many 10s. And I de-rate some of my 10s to 9s, in deference to Ms. Holiday.
c.
edit: I went through my ratings and down-rated all but ten songs. Nothing against the other fine artists, just that some songs are bigger than the artists themselves. Or the song makes them bigger, I don't know. Recording this song (in 1939!) required courage I can not fathom.
c.
c.
edit: I went through my ratings and down-rated all but ten songs. Nothing against the other fine artists, just that some songs are bigger than the artists themselves. Or the song makes them bigger, I don't know. Recording this song (in 1939!) required courage I can not fathom.
c.
Very haunting and a reminder of how wicked humans can be to each other.
I wonder if parts of the USA have ever moved on??
I wonder if parts of the USA have ever moved on??
GODLIKE!!!
Raw and hard to hear, but a reminder that we have not come far enough.
norbertZ wrote:
I have given 10. So, your 10 plus mine = 20 :)
Sorry. It's a 20 - but I can give no more than 10 :(
I have given 10. So, your 10 plus mine = 20 :)
This has to be the darkest song I've ever heard
Laptopdog wrote:
Yes it is true that life in the segregated South was horrific. But after the Great Migration, the ghettos of the North and West reveal that, as you have said, we have far to go.
As Charles M. Blow puts it in The Devil you Know: "... Racism wasn't and isn't geography dependent, but proximity and scale dependent. Black people fled the horrors of the racist South for the so-called liberal cities of the North and West, trading the devil they knew for the devil they didn't, only to come to the painful realization that the devil is the devil."
Strange Fruit, as Billie Holiday renders it, is hauntingly beautiful and a gut punch reminder of the terrors of racism. As others have said here, the lynchings are re-enacted whenever an African American gets killed just for being black.
Kudos for playing this song, Bill. A reminder of how horrific life was for the blacks in the segregated South. And an ongoing reminder of just how far we still have to go.
Yes it is true that life in the segregated South was horrific. But after the Great Migration, the ghettos of the North and West reveal that, as you have said, we have far to go.
As Charles M. Blow puts it in The Devil you Know: "... Racism wasn't and isn't geography dependent, but proximity and scale dependent. Black people fled the horrors of the racist South for the so-called liberal cities of the North and West, trading the devil they knew for the devil they didn't, only to come to the painful realization that the devil is the devil."
Strange Fruit, as Billie Holiday renders it, is hauntingly beautiful and a gut punch reminder of the terrors of racism. As others have said here, the lynchings are re-enacted whenever an African American gets killed just for being black.
Kudos for playing this song, Bill. A reminder of how horrific life was for the blacks in the segregated South. And an ongoing reminder of just how far we still have to go.
dray2009 wrote:
"Samuel Grafton, a columnist for the New York Post, wrote of the song: “It will, even after the tenth hearing, make you blink and hold onto your chair. Even now, as I think of it, the short hair on the back of my neck tightens and I want to hit somebody. And I think I know who.”"
c.
"Originally a poem called BitterFruit, it was written by the Jewish school teacher Abel Meeropol under the pseudonym Lewis Allen in response to lynching in US southern states. “I wrote Strange Fruit because I hate lynching, and I hate injustice, and I hate the people who perpetuate it,” Meeropol said in 1971."
Strange Fruit: The most shocking song of all time?
"Samuel Grafton, a columnist for the New York Post, wrote of the song: “It will, even after the tenth hearing, make you blink and hold onto your chair. Even now, as I think of it, the short hair on the back of my neck tightens and I want to hit somebody. And I think I know who.”"
c.
This is a ghastly song. And for me it points to one thing.
To those who would deny the humanity of another simply because of their color, the slant of their eyes, the turn of their nose or cultural back-ground. If you feel this way, if you allow such as this song depicts to occur; if you promote it as a normal consideration of being better than those you attack, then you give carte blanche to having it be done to you some day.
Call it retribution. Call it Karma. Call it "What goes around comes around." Whatever you call it it's what happens when you practice hate against innocence. You, too, will become strange fruit.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
To those who would deny the humanity of another simply because of their color, the slant of their eyes, the turn of their nose or cultural back-ground. If you feel this way, if you allow such as this song depicts to occur; if you promote it as a normal consideration of being better than those you attack, then you give carte blanche to having it be done to you some day.
Call it retribution. Call it Karma. Call it "What goes around comes around." Whatever you call it it's what happens when you practice hate against innocence. You, too, will become strange fruit.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
"Originally a poem called BitterFruit, it was written by the Jewish school teacher Abel Meeropol under the pseudonym Lewis Allen in response to lynching in US southern states. “I wrote Strange Fruit because I hate lynching, and I hate injustice, and I hate the people who perpetuate it,” Meeropol said in 1971."
Strange Fruit: The most shocking song of all time?
Strange Fruit: The most shocking song of all time?
Hulu released The United States v Billy Holiday and, from what I understand, this plays predominantly in the film.
I have to find time to watch.
I have to find time to watch.
Heartbreaking. Below someone noted lynchings happened 'as late as' the '50s. Not accurate, sadly.
"The lynching of Michael Donald in Mobile, Alabama on March 21, 1981, was one of the last reported lynchings in the United States."
James Byrd was effectively lynched in 1998 in Jasper Texas. As noted below there are many, many more recent(ish) incidents that have every hallmark of a lynching. Not even including actions of 'peace officers'.
c.
"The lynching of Michael Donald in Mobile, Alabama on March 21, 1981, was one of the last reported lynchings in the United States."
James Byrd was effectively lynched in 1998 in Jasper Texas. As noted below there are many, many more recent(ish) incidents that have every hallmark of a lynching. Not even including actions of 'peace officers'.
c.
javelipix wrote:
I'll triple the Bill love but with a 9 rating. Long Live RP and short live racism!!
Damn. A reminder to save my 10s for a real, godlike masterpiece. Love you Billie. You too Bill.
I'll triple the Bill love but with a 9 rating. Long Live RP and short live racism!!
Sorry. It's a 20 - but I can give no more than 10 :(
VH1 wrote:
Nowadays black people do not get lynched anymore by hanging them from a tree, but get shot in back in the streets by white cops.
What's is the difference?
Rascism is rascism.
Except when they get shot by black cops. Racism is racism. But what's going on today is not that clear-cut. And in the words of Albert Einstein, "this problem is not going to get solved by using the same level of thinking that was in place when it was created." The police in America needs to take a long hard look at itself and how they do their job, but they're less likely to do so if they're being characterized as mindless, heartless, racists. Personal attacks rarely lead to introspection.
Nowadays black people do not get lynched anymore by hanging them from a tree, but get shot in back in the streets by white cops.
What's is the difference?
Rascism is rascism.
Except when they get shot by black cops. Racism is racism. But what's going on today is not that clear-cut. And in the words of Albert Einstein, "this problem is not going to get solved by using the same level of thinking that was in place when it was created." The police in America needs to take a long hard look at itself and how they do their job, but they're less likely to do so if they're being characterized as mindless, heartless, racists. Personal attacks rarely lead to introspection.
I always cry when I hear this
Damn. A reminder to save my 10s for a real, godlike masterpiece. Love you Billie. You too Bill.
And everyone say how crazy this world is now, we're clueless!
On_The_Beach wrote:
The Meeropols took in the Rosenberg children, after the executions. They were pretty far left, in McCarthy time. And they lived their beliefs.
Gut-wrenching. There has never been a(nother) song quite like this and no one performs it like Billie.
The only contemporary song that comes close from an emotional standpoint would be Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt".
From wiki: ""Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred chiefly in the South but also in other regions of the United States."
(Yes, the "strange fruit" was the black corpses hanging from the trees.)
The only contemporary song that comes close from an emotional standpoint would be Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt".
From wiki: ""Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred chiefly in the South but also in other regions of the United States."
(Yes, the "strange fruit" was the black corpses hanging from the trees.)
The Meeropols took in the Rosenberg children, after the executions. They were pretty far left, in McCarthy time. And they lived their beliefs.
FrankDebbieCote wrote:
Nowadays black people do not get lynched anymore by hanging them from a tree, but get shot in back in the streets by white cops.
What's is the difference?
Rascism is rascism.
It was very brave of these artists to shine a light on this particulary ugly practice; even so, there were lynchings as recent as 1955 in Indianna.
Nowadays black people do not get lynched anymore by hanging them from a tree, but get shot in back in the streets by white cops.
What's is the difference?
Rascism is rascism.
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Deserves to be included in the top 100 intrinsically important songs. Really.
wow, just wow
It was very brave of these artists to shine a light on this particulary ugly practice; even so, there were lynchings as recent as 1955 in Indianna.
Watched the Ken Burns documentary on Jazz recently on Netflix, Billie Holiday highly regarded as a pioneer of that genre. I realized while watching the series that I knew very little about Jazz, it's history or influence on contemporary rock & pop. Amazing music... took me 47 years to find it but I'm glad I did.
sirdroseph wrote:
I wonder how many times it was uploaded...
6Billie Holiday - Strange Fruitsorry34/8 (81%)320
I knew they would eventually add this one!
I wonder how many times it was uploaded...
6Billie Holiday - Strange Fruitsorry34/8 (81%)320
Lazarus wrote:
Please, it has to be time to realise that this self promoting, cut and paste individual has no care for anything other than narcism.
READ THE LYRICS PAL and then think hard about making joke comments.
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Please, it has to be time to realise that this self promoting, cut and paste individual has no care for anything other than narcism.
READ THE LYRICS PAL and then think hard about making joke comments.
Nina Simone also did a mean version of this song.
And in 1939! Wow, amazing and powerful song.
10. Should be more but hey, that's as high as I can vote. There's an early version on youtube, amazing, haunting performance.
there is nothing like the best........For me an alltime Godlike 10 
.... timeless classic - 9 for me On_The_Beach wrote:
Thank you. Spot on.
Let's add more comments and see if we can get those 'other' comments off the first page...
Gut-wrenching. There has never been a(nother) song quite like this and no one performs it like Billie.
The only contemporary song that comes close from an emotional standpoint would be Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt".
From wiki: ""Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred chiefly in the South but also in other regions of the United States."
(Yes, the "strange fruit" was the black corpses hanging from the trees.)
The only contemporary song that comes close from an emotional standpoint would be Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt".
From wiki: ""Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred chiefly in the South but also in other regions of the United States."
(Yes, the "strange fruit" was the black corpses hanging from the trees.)
Thank you. Spot on.
Let's add more comments and see if we can get those 'other' comments off the first page...
Lazarus wrote:
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Well hooray for violent institutionalized racism, I guess.
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Well hooray for violent institutionalized racism, I guess.
Lazarus wrote:
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Really? Even commenting like that on this song? Are you even paying attention to the songs you're referring to anymore or just posting the same sh*t everywhere without any regard to its meaning? You're a sad and sick individual, RT.
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Really? Even commenting like that on this song? Are you even paying attention to the songs you're referring to anymore or just posting the same sh*t everywhere without any regard to its meaning? You're a sad and sick individual, RT.
Lazarus wrote:
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Completely bizarre and perhaps innapropriate response to this song
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked... love this song... love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...
Completely bizarre and perhaps innapropriate response to this song
Gut-wrenching. There has never been a(nother) song quite like this and no one performs it like Billie.
The only contemporary song that comes close from an emotional standpoint would be Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt".
From wiki: ""Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred chiefly in the South but also in other regions of the United States."
(Yes, the "strange fruit" was the black corpses hanging from the trees.)
The only contemporary song that comes close from an emotional standpoint would be Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt".
From wiki: ""Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by the teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem, it exposed American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had occurred chiefly in the South but also in other regions of the United States."
(Yes, the "strange fruit" was the black corpses hanging from the trees.)
Yeah, folks, my mistake... my comment was inappropriate for such a profound and socially significant song... I apologize for that... please forgive me...
Am always knocked back by this song. So powerful!
Billie's signal song. The timing - after a weekend of protests over the Martin killing - so perfectly speaks to the racial issues still looming over this country.
goddess like...
Lol I knew they would eventually add this one!
Anyone know who's playing the horn?