‘Songwriting: Critical Listening and Composition - Billie Holiday’s Interpretation of ‘Strange Fruit

The song 'Strange Fruit', which was originally a Poem by Lewis Allan, was famously recorded by Billie Holiday which was in protest against racism and the inhumane practise of lynching in South America. The song was first released in 1939.

After the release of the song 'Strange Fruit', which reached 16 on the US billboard chart, it was hard for white Americans and politicians to ignore what was going with all the lynching that was effecting the lives of black men, women and children. The impact the song had was huge, it completely shocked those who had listened to the song, making the listener aware of the sheer brutality of what was going on if they listener was already not aware.

The lyrics paint the picture of black victims who are described as being 'Strange Fruit' as they hang in the trees, rotting in the sun. There is a lot of prosody within the song which helps to reiterate the themes in the song. After the line 'Here is fruit for the crows to pluck' there is a sudden sharp chord, staccato, which is clear prosody for the sudden sharp chord is meant to be a metaphor for something being plucked, in this case the crows are plucking away at the dead bodies. Crows are usually used as a symbol of death because they're known for eating dead things so we know that they're eating the dead 'Strange Fruit'. Crow may also refer to the Jim Crow laws, racist segregationist laws enforced against the African-American population.

The overall feel of the song is very dark with its use of minor chords and the fact that its in a minor key. The lyrics are equally as dark, describing bodies that are hung from the trees that rot away.

'Southern trees bear a strange fruit', 'Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees', 'For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop'.

The line 'Blood on the leaves and blood at the root' is an exceptional line within the song. You could interrupt this line in a few different ways for there is not only blood on the leaves from those who have been killed and lynched, but the blood at the root of the tree is actually giving the tree life, the blood is a metaphor for water because water usually gives plants and trees life. You could look even further into this and find more metaphors. This could be a metaphor for the racial power struggle and inherent racial inequalities in the United States. Slaves were brought to American in 1619 and slavery did not end until the 1800s. Without the enslavement of individuals, America’s economy would not have been able to thrive and develop in the way that it did. (Slavery made the Southern cotton industry very lucrative, and without that money the Northern states would not have been able to industrialize.) The United States is a country that is built on suffering, enslavement and exploitation. (The trees are fed by the blood of the exploited, not water in America.) The beginnings of the United States set up the racially divided and racist system that our country still struggles with today. The impact of this song would have helped to question and stop such acts as lynching which were a huge problem. The shrill nature of the song shocked listeners which brought awareness to lynching and the song is credited with a major role in increasing Caucasian social awareness of the fledgling civil rights movement.

Theres a huge difference in these lines:

'Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh

Then the sudden smell of burning flesh'

The lyrics paint a picture of beautiful magnolias flowers which happen to be the state flower of Mississippi. There is a sudden drastic change with the smell of burning flesh. This is extremely powerful the music, use of minor chords, adds to the lyrics, another use of prosody within the song

Her live performances of the song are known for being equally as dark. Holiday would close the set with 'Strange Fruit'; all the waiters would stop their service in advance; the whole room would be in complete darkness with the exception of a spotlight on Billie Holiday whilst performing the song. The song would leave audiences speechless.

'Strange Fruit' still has a big impact today for it managed to influence US Rapper Kanye West where he sampled parts of the 1965 rendition, performed by Nina Simone.