Strange Fruit

This song turns my stomach every time. And the lady who interprets and embodies it is one of the great masters of all time - Billie Holiday.
The "strange fruit" referred to in the song are the bodies of African American men hanged during a lynching. They contrast the pastoral scenes of the South with the ugliness of racist violence. The lyrics were so chilling that Holiday later said "The first time I sang it, I thought it was a mistake. There wasn't even a patter of applause when I finished. Then a lone person began to clap nervously. Then suddenly everyone was clapping and cheering."

Listen. Feel. Act.

Comments

[Kevo]

Your Billie Holiday post moved me. That song is both chilling and descriptive.