My history teacher put this song on and just let it play in silence. Towards the start the class was sort of smirking at Billie's strange singing tone and the oldness of it. Then the 'fruit' part clicked with us. The song ended and the whole class was just dead silent. It was a surreal experience and I'm glad the message got through to us.
I'm glad I won't be the only teacher showing this to their class in the future. Just the history behind this one song and the historical message alone I could spend a whole High school year on. really wish I could but not in this country sadly the way things are going. some books I wanted to have students read and cover will soon not be allowed in high school classes the way people are going.
Nyt suomenkielellä, mutta kaksiviikkoa sitten näin eräänlaisen dokumentin Billien elämästä, jossa hän meni jollekin maatilalle, jossa KKK, oli polttaneet maatilan, jossa äitiparka riippui hirtettynä puunoksassa, siitä ilmeisesti syntyi sävellys Stainge Fruit's ja FBI alkoi jahtaamaan Bilöiet
I just watched “The United States vs Billie Holiday” and learned about this song and the trouble Holiday got into from singing it. I’m speechless. Never have I ever….We owe a lot to these courageous men and women who gave their lives to promote awareness and change.
Good for you. Wasn't a lot of good movie. She did a really good job. Didn't see the story was well told it wasn't as dark as well. It was in real life but she was a very courageous woman but young lady. Very proud of her. It's the same she had to die so young
I remember hearing Strange Fruit for the first time when I was 12 and was going through my grandfather's old vinyls after he had passed away. He had the original shellac vinyl that was made and released in 1939, and my Mother told me that before meeting my grandmother he had a relationship with a black girl while in high school (he was white), and she gave it to him. He said because of her he cared a lot about the Civil Rights Movement and took part in many large protests in Chicago where he lived, and was present at MLK's 'I Have A Dream' speech. The record is now in a frame on the wall, next to a portrait of him. Edit 1- Thank you all for your kind words, my grandfather is such a special person to me and inspires me to this day. God bless. Edit 2- I know schools were segregated, I don't know exactly how they met, but obviously they weren't in school together. My great grandparents, Jewish immigrants from Europe, owned and operated a candy shop from the early 20s into the late 40s, near Wrigley Field. So they could have met there, who knows. He kept this relationship to himself until way after my grandmother passed, and even then kept it vague.
Billie Holiday was threatened by Harry Anslinger, the Head Of the FBI, to stop singing about lynching. She did it anyway and continued to do it no matter what the monster tried to do to ruin her life. Now, Holiday and “Strange Fruit” are still remembered. Anslinger is not.May we all be a badass like Billie one day
Holiday marched to the beat of her own drum -- and her conscience. "God Bless the Child", by which I mean Lady Day. F**k Anslinger, another U S Government crook. Today is your birthday, Billie. I honour you for your courage and your indelible talent.
Yes, true history that was banned in our educational institutions. By who? A bunch of folks that want to perpetuate racism while claiming racism does not exist.
Still are a man was just found hanging in MO 2 weeks ago he was a black lives matters activist. Many more have died, in car bombs, and shootings, 2 head shots in one and it was deemed a suicide. nothing has changed black bodies blowing in the wind.
This song is so moving. The use of the word “fruit” is so masterful in its expression of the commoditization of black people, black bodies, and black souls. Truly a moving experience that made me feel not only like my heart dropped to my stomach but also angry.
If you think about it, we are called fruit when we are new life. “Bear fruit” “fruit of my loines” so it was a very smart work to use for this song. Strange for our type of fruit to be hanging from trees.
Lynchings were most prevalent after the American Civil War, so slavery was already abolished, and the literal commoditization of black people was over. So, I wouldn’t say the word fruit is being used symbolically towards what you’re claiming, and I don’t see how any of the lyrics would suggest that either. Fruit hang from trees, and lynchings often used a tree to hang with - strange fruit hanging from those trees.
If you think the commoditization of Black folks ended with slavery, you really need to read up. Black culture and Black bodies were still being exploited, and are still to this day, to a lesser extent. Much in the same way that Black people were still not treated equally under the law with the abolishment of slavery, Black people were still commodities long after it was legal to sell them. However, I agree completely with your assessment of the lyrics. While a case could be made for Nelson's interpretation, it would be far too much of a stretch.
@Bill Stevens In the late 1930s, Pellison says, Meeropol "was very disturbed at the continuation of racism in America, and seeing a photograph of a lynching sort of put him over the edge." Meeropol once said the photograph "haunted" him "for days." So he wrote a poem about it, which was then printed in a teachers union publication. An amateur composer, Meeropol also set his words to music. He played it for a New York club owner - who ultimately gave it to Billie Holiday. Lyrics written by a Jewish man.
We read and listened to this song in my AP US History class in high school and it has always stuck with me. I think it always will. And I'm proud that my school, or at least my teacher, made a point to share it with us. It's an incredibly powerful song, and despite it's disturbing and distressing allusions, I don't think it should be forgotten anytime soon. We need to enshrine these types of songs and what they represent in our history, remaining diligent to never let it be buried for the sake of "comfort" or "letting the past be the past", lest we lose all that we've already fought for and continue to fight for today.
As soon as she says “southern trees bare strange fruit” it just makes my stomach drop I feel like I’m gonna vomit and cry at the same time. The fact this song is called ‘strange fruit’ alone gives off this eerie and dark feel, she’s talking in code and the fact you know what this code is saying makes you feel ashamed because she’s talking about something despicable that happened and we as humans have let it happen.
Alex Fox lol is that a justification for what happened? Should I not care or be upset about what happens simply because of your bogus point? Are humans equal to all other animals? Can you compare an animal who needs to hunt to survive and protect themselves to an animal who lives in a comfortable house and deal with most altercations by discussion?
Just Using I think my comment was mostly in regards to your last statement “we as humans have let it happen.” It just sounds like you expected more of humanity when you shouldn’t.
Grandpa had me listen to this when I was eight years old. He said there is three parts of history, what the government allows you to know, what the schools and books say and what really happened. Here in Canada we studied a bit of U.S. history and we covered the race issues. I was suspended for three days for taking this song and explaining it to the class in a project. Apparently we weren't to speak the truth of the lynchings. I am 55 now and still stand by my project. The suspension affected me so much my dad and grandpa went fishing.
@@bda529 yes and got a ten day suspension for my project on residential schools. It was not on any school board approved study programs. I went fishing then too lol
I would've found a way to make all my projects either pertaining to her or even more disturbing so they could see the truth lol. There's a website that host collections of pics from and before the lynching time period they would have HATED me 😂
This song has a certain feeling to it that I'm unsure if I can describe properly. It's absolutely horrifying; the music, the lyrics, the *meaning* behind the lyrics, Billie's voice... It all brings such a sense of unease and horror. But it also somehow manages to be beautiful and powerful, especially once you take into consideration how she was willing to lose her career so as to sing about the atrocities commuted towards black people in USA. I've heard of this woman and the song "Strange Fruit" today and I can already say that I am in awe
As a European citizin i can not imagine what happened that time during centurys in the US ? How can you be so low ? Still now,some are KKK beasts ? Terrorists allowed ?
Oh definitely not "possibly" IT FREAKING IS dude. I once heard it back in my 10th grade in high school. My teacher was teaching us how genocide and racism was like back in the days and she played this song. It has haunted me ever since, there's not a single strand of hair in my body that doesnt stand up.
Billie Holiday. Nina Simone. Aretha Franklin. These three American ladies awed and haunted me with their songs, their voices, the way they sing. Love them all.
Hopefully people know that this song was initially a Poem but Billie was so struck by it that she took it upon herself to spread it with her status as a singer at that time.
@Chiefing N Cheesing in the book 700 Sundays about his father, Billy Crystal tells the story about his uncle, Milt Gabler, who recorded this song. He told Billy that she sang this to him acapella, and he cried like a baby when he heard it the first time. He made it his mission to have it recorded since Billie Holiday felt Columbia Records didn't want to record it. His uncle was one of our musical greats behind the scenes in the history of music. If you haven't read it, 700 Sundays is a fantastic book. You take care🙂
Her voice will never be matched! Amazing. The controversy came from the poet. A white man. But it was too racist. The world has gotten smarter except for some that perpetuate the past
Strange Fruit was written by Abel Meeropol, a NYC school,teacher, who adopted the 2 sons of Julius and Erthel Rosenberg, executed in 1953 for passing secrets about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Billie paid a heavy price for continuing to sing this amazingly moving song despiite threats. Her performance is perfection.
What is truly amazing about Bilie singing this song in her era was that she sang this at most of her concerts. Wikipedia: Holiday first performed the song at Cafe Society in 1939. She said that singing it made her fearful of retaliation but, because its imagery reminded her of her father, she continued to sing the piece, making it a regular part of her live performances.[12] Because of the power of the song, Josephson drew up some rules: Holiday would close with it; the waiters would stop all service in advance; the room would be in darkness except for a spotlight on Holiday's face; and there would be no encore.[9] During the musical introduction, Holiday stood with her eyes closed, as if she were evoking a prayer.
I just watched the part of the Ken Burns' Jazz documentary where the narrator talks about this song and about the first time she ever sang it in public. It was in front of an integrated audience at a place called Cafe Society in Greenwich Village. The narrator said that when Billie was finished, there was complete silence in the room. A minute or two later, one person began nervously clapping in the back. That person was soon joined by the rest of the audience in applause. Amazing stuff. I just wish that the topic of this song was something completely fictional. Unfortunately it's not.
Blood on the trees .Blood on the roots.This song is so poetic and haunting..You can imagine at that time the shock the smell the actual pain of living in this era.and surviving...
Curtistine Miller. Human killing humans. When will it stop. When God destroy s this wicked world. True Paradise is human living in peace without destroying their brothers and sisters.
For those who need to read along: 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
To me this song belongs in the pantheon of genius. Not a song that you can like and certainly not dislike, however it achieves the distinction of being a song that one can only respect. I just hpoe that we never get to any kind of situation that a song like this should ever have to be written again. God bless all those innocents to whom this song refers.
Indeed!!! I never realized the fight she had with the government to sing this song. Smh. And then at the end of movie to see the Emmett Till Anti Lynching Act was considered by the senate in 2/2020 and has Yet to be passed. 😡😡😡
You have never heard "Angelitos Negros" is in Spanish so you probably never will, in this song the author ask a painter why there are no black angels in his paintings and tells him the black angels (kids) go to heaven as well (that is the short version). Is a very beautiful song with a very deep message... There is even a movie by Pedro Infante called Angelitos Negros...
@@naru2940 Yes, thank you for stating the obvious. She died because her "alcohol and drug complications" were not being treated by her doctors, who were ordered to withhold treatment. I guess you're going to write everyone else who has written what really happened to Billie the same obvious comment? Good luck with that, then.
Born 1941, listened to this on the radio as a child. It never left me. This Voice, this pain. I did not speak a word of english then, but the the pain came through, still does.
Before her words come over the airwaves, the trumpets wailing notes tell you all you need to know go the struggle the song details. Truly a haunting piece worth immortalizing.
I’m sitting on the floor in my hallway grieving the loss of an innocent black man and this song was ringing in my ears. I feel empty and hurt and listening to this...how can people still care so little about human life?
The life of the black man in America have reached the throne room of God. How long Lord? Not long. And then eternity to pay. America you will go down in the dust
The grief overtook me on Monday night I had felt ill for days then I felt hurt and anger. Then finally the grief. I felt like I was weeping for every black man in this nation
For anyone who is interested there is a great book called Chasing the Scream. It's about how the "war on drugs" started but Billie is actually a key component to the story. It goes into her life story and it is a must read. It's tragic but you have to understand how much adversity this lady endured and what she was able to accomplish through it all. It's really astounding.
Growing up I didn’t understand the meaning of this song. Now that I’m an adult the meaning holds such a deeper meaning the sad truth of what our ancestors had to go through I give my deepest respect to them. Happy African American History Day ! ❤️🖤💚✊🏾
In my school I am studying International relations and in one subject called USA and Canada: History and Polítics, we had a lecture about the KKK and the Jim Crow Laws and I told the teacher about this song while watching an image of a lynching in the Deep South and I read the lyrics of this song in front of the class (which nobody but me knew about the song) and they were quite shocked specially the teacher You can learn very well from music I am a light skin Mexican and I love African American music, it’s very beautiful!!!
Purple Set that is all in your mindset. If your ancestors were alive today to see all the changes being made they wouldn't believe it's America. We're living in a time where there isn't any law preventing you from doing something bc of your skin. There isnt an invisible hand hindering you because of your skin, what ever you say and believe thats how you see it, say you see green every where and you don't see red, its what you wanna see
Purple set. I have a lot of native American in me. We all know my people was wronged as well. I just want to see people get along. The hate has to stop somewhere. I know know it will never completely stop. We all of us have to start somewhere.
I as a 6th grade student was introduced to Billy Holiday and this piece by my Beatnik teacher back in the 1950s. She opened my eyes and ears to things that were not always mentioned. I, to this day thank her for educating me to the deeper aspects of our American history and the different choices of great music.
I was on the verge of crying first time i heard this. The way i see it, Even though i'm white, every injustice done to any group that i "don't belong to" is still an injustice done to My people. Race is an artificial construct, Every human being is part of My people, we should all equally be hurt by past and current events.
Why be hurt by past events? Can you change it? Can you physically go back in time and change history? No you can't. Stop living in the past and bringing it to the present. People like you are the problem here. I'm not racist by any means, I hate everyone equally. The fact that the past pains you is kind of ridiculous. What hurts you so bad? The fact that slavery happened? Guess what? White people were slaves well before Africans were brought to America by boat. The Turkish empire and most African countries were going to England, Scotland, Ireland and other white majority countries to steal white men, women and children from their families. So tell me what about slavery hurts you. You're dumb if you think black people are the only ones to go through a heinous act of slavery. Learn some real history. Not the shit they teach at school.
You should cry especially since it’s your ancestors who did all these despicable acts to other innocent human beings. You should hurt enough to want to see change because your people are still lynching people who look like me
@@Paklite455 nobody is lynching y'all anymore. Seriously. That's over with. I'm not apologizing for shit I didn't do just like I wouldnt expect an apology from anyone treating my Irish ancestors or my Cherokee ancestors the way they did. The world was a different place and we all know no race is more superior to the other. The US isn't as racist as you like to think it is. Otherwise, we wouldn't have POCs at every level of government all the way up to the presidency. Go look up what color the first legal slave owner was. He wasn't white. Then go look up the color of the first slaves brought to the US and their ages. Guess what? They weren't black OR adults. Why don't you focus on the slavery still going on in Libya? China? India? Syria? Better yet try to focus and the human and child trafficking of all races happening across the globe at this very minute. over 3 million children go missing in the US alone every year. Most of those children are trafficked.
Story Time: My history teacher (I'm in 7th grade) told us he played this song to one of his classes a couple of years ago. One of his students told their mom, which later told the principal. He got in trouble over it. He told us how the parent was yelling and saying all these things about how the students should not be listening to this. My teacher kept asking them, " Did you listen to the song?" They would say that they didn't need to. When they finally did listen to it, they apologized. Now it was my turn to listen to it....I'm glad I did
My heart bleeds and the tears fall as I listen to the words expressed through Billie's poignantly haunting song...what have we done to our brothers and sisters? How could we have treated those poor people the way we did? I feel so terribly sad and pray that history will never ever repeat itself in this manner. RIP beautiful souls.
I was never forbidden to listen to any music in my youth or told that this or that person was evil and for that I'm grateful. I went on to study music, all music, including jazz. In fact, my alma mater has one of the finest jazz programs in the country. My instrument was the organ, but I knew I still needed to understand jazz. Every great American musical form has as its inspiration black music! In 2000, I led a choir to Italy and there we received standing ovations for three pieces we performed--all three black spirituals!
Oh, dear Lord, this song and the terrible truth behind it is breaking my heart. So much suffering. My heart is with all of you who are still bearing the hardships and ugliness of racism. You don't deserve to be mistreated. You deserve respect and care and love for who you are -- God's beautiful sons and daughters.
@MelaninGoddess Jewels thank you!! I’m sick of their fake sympathy especially since they haven’t changed one bit, they are still killing us and celebrating about it on Twitter
@@Paklite455 Society hasn't changed one bit? Lmao No sympathy here. Everyone's ancestors have been oppressed in one way or another. Everyone has the opportunity to change their path and break the cycle if they choose. No one is killing you. You have a computer to comment on you tube. Life ain't so bad. Change is inevitable. We are always growing and learning from our sins. I'm so sick of talking about what color we are. Who cares. We need to get past it and just be good to each other. God bless.
I don't understand... Sure many are still horrible towards our community. But why being that way when some support us? Just one person won't change every racists and stupid people. Who said she doesn't try to talk to them? We don't know. Unfortunately many don't want to change whatever you say and want to stay in their toxic and ugly mind. But why rejecting those who support us and care about us (even though they're a small percentage) if we want people to recognize that we matter? It doesn't make sense : / personally I always keep in mind that there are good and bad everywhere so, if we see the bad we can also see the good as tiny as it is. Of course that's my opinion. (my english isn't great but I hope my comment is understandable)
This track changed my life. I spent my youth campaigning against prejudice....then spent the next 60 years learning about humans. Eternal thanks to Billie Holiday, incomparable
As a black person listening to this song makes me feel so eerie and uncomfortable because I could almost picture what happens I the song and it just feel so uncomfy by it
I know you commented this 2 years ago. But it's understandable. This wasn't a long time ago in history, and to think white folk were so easily brainwashed to think these actions were OK is terrifying. I look back in history and wonder how evil had such a vicegrip on our souls.
I had to analyze this song in my American Lit class. Luckily I have a amazing teacher that wants us to read about the genocide of the Tainos and slave narratives. I'm very thankful to have a teacher teach us all aspects of reading/writing, I would have never known how many lynchings and vile humans there were, and some still are. I love this song, but it's very heartbreaking to listen to. I hope everything will get better in America and all over the world, everyone is created equal.
Her voice alone has so much power. The courage she had to be singing such a song at a time when it was forbidden to speak on lynchpin, makes her amazing. ❤
WOW!!! Check out the powerful performance of "Strange Fruit" by the amazing 3 MO' DIVAS on the Showbiz Stories channel! A very unique arrangement combined with the rarely heard haunting "Lament"!
I think this is the original Commodore recording - with the long Sonny White Piano intro - so you would be right on 1939. Amazing we are still talking about this song and its impact nearly 80 years after its recording
Jordan Tulinsky This actually makes me shiver. In the opening the high note slices right through the soul and the last note narrates the result. Of course Billie puts the whole universe in every word. It’s not even performing, it’s a state of grace made manifest. And that is beauty
I absolutely adored this song for years. you see, english is not my first language and for all this years I never quite listened to lyrics. just the magnificent melody. only today i thought about meaning behind them. and now i finally got it. oh god, my heart broke for everyone who suffered from lynching in south. it’s just... i have no words 🥺
God bless my ancestors. 60 plus years and this song is still relevant. I'm sad that I am 44 years old and this is my first time hearing this. I didn't learn this in school during black history month. There's too much black history to try to fit in one month. The shortest month at that. There's no America without black people.😥😥
A lot of blacks were not taught about their history in school for obvious reasons, family members, friends, and other older people told stories, and as I got older and even now I am still learning, I will pass what I learn to my grands, great granddaughter and others.
A very beautifuly sung, somber and blunt song that doesnt waste time or words and gets the message out loud and clear. Its a shame it was ever needed . I admire Billie Holiday for singing the truth .
This song scares me every time. Just gives me the willies. It's so purposefully ugly. Your artistic side wants to listen for some beauty in it, but it seems to deny you that with a hint of anger every time. It gets you to give up on hope, it faults you for seeking pleasure, it turns the pass time of leisure into the destruction of naivete, it strips down all the layers to leave just a candid impression so familiar yet too harsh for many of us not to commonly ignore. And it is real. It is hideous. And I can't stop listening to it.
The lyrics take you from the seductive warmth of a southern summer night to the depths of hell in just a few lines. You're never actually told what is going on, it's left for you to figure it out for yourself, and when you do... It's genius writing, and Miss Holiday's interpretation, sung as if she's mourning privately to herself, is a perfect match.
This song absolutely tears my soul in half! To think that the human brain is capable of making such decisions as to put people through that horror absolutely petrifies me! I hope they have all rested in peace and they continue to live on somewhere beautiful! Breaks my fucking heart! It really does!
There are no words to utter when you hear this; only a sobering and deep silence, out of respect for this heavy hearted song. So somber, cynic but out of hurt and not irony. Must never be forgotten so we are reminded to act right in the future, never to fall into that disgraceful hole again as a society
Go read the stories of how she performed this song. It's some of the most metal and gutsy stuff I've read. A lot of respect for her and the poem's author.
@@Cheyannesorelle - It's the simplicity that really makes it hit so hard. A few lines describing an idyllic, warm summer night, but you slowly realise there's something a little off-key about it, something wrong...but you're left to figure out for yourself just exactly what it is. I think making the listener arrive at the truth for themself is what makes it so powerful.
Honestly , this song has truly touched me . It’s so deep , it’s so raw and real . I can see her hurt through this epic song . And I can only imagine , how African Americans feel hearing this . It truly brought me to tears . I’m so sorry your ancestry went through this .
As I processed it all it is just a sad reminder of how arbitrary and capricious our government can be.When you have an Executive branch of our justice system calls feeding less furtunate children (nefarious activity),there is no end to what they will do to target you and put you away or even kill you.I'm living proff.
Never.have heard this song until today. So ashamed!!! Heard it through Lee Daniel's movie!! Ashamed to be white listening to this shit!! No more bitter fruit than this hanging in poplar trees. AM with you. We are ALL HUMAN. Sing it Billie. RIP!!!
I'm french and my english teacher played it during lessons when i was younger..maybe 10 years ago...and that's still deeply upsetting.... Never forget..
@@darrensmith6504 ayyyy what's up. I feel like some people think people with no music taste and jsut wanna listen to something egy are usually the stereotype peep fans. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who genuinely appricate music for itself and keeps there mind open ❤️
Im so grateful for Billie Holliday. She was so brave and courageous and it costed her her life. Thank you Ms. Holliday you were your own force BEFORE the Civil Rights Movement. To sing this message for 20 years and 60 years later its still relevant and prevalent in our culture is just so sad. Thank you Ms. Holliday I truly appreciate your stance to end the lynching of our people.
WOW!!! Check out the powerful and poignant performance of Strange Fruit by the amazing 3 MO' DIVAS on the Showbiz Stories channel! A very unique arrangement combined with the rarely heard Lament!
Legit gives me chills! Sad TIK ToK brought me here - hadn’t heard this before hearing someone protest out against the viral sample of this song and speak on what it actually meant😩
@@beenthe4892 what is wrong with you? why would you want people dancing to black trauma? And for it to be a trendy song that people dance to not knowing the true meaning behind it?
This trumpet oh my god, so much emotions with few notes ! Truly an incredible song, it's amazing how talent and revendications, when mixed up, create pure art. RIP Billie Holiday, may your soul be in peace.
==========lyrics============= Southern trees bear a 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.
Thank you. I did not hear it all and you clarified it for me. Sad, very sad song but in the day -- truthful. No matter what color we are -- somewhere people have been burned one way or another -- however, we must learn by these songs and history so that we can hopefully rectify the wrongs for those who are gone.
No it shouldn't. Let me enlighten you friend. Anyone with the power and passion to utilize the VOICE would appall the disruptions occurring in Ferguson, or anywhere else you have listed. If you learn to be heard. If what you say is valid you will be heard. There is no need for violence. To burn buildings or flip cars. It expresses nothing other than weakness. Now if you take a step back you would see your comment looks as if it was thought and typed by an angry ten year old.
I'm talking about to those who believe there is no problem. Those who think there is nothing systemically wrong. She sang that song to awaken people to injustice. It is that message I believe people still need to hear.
Yes it should. Folk will tell you differently and some of them might even be well-meaning. But those that know must not forget, those that forget must be reminded and those that want us to be quiet should shut the hell up.
Ngoma Bishop I once heard the above phrase from a Jewish Woman that had survived Auschwitz when asked why she still wears the numbers tattooed into her arm.
Never heard of Billie holiday, I came from the breakfast club interview with DR. Cornel West, one of my first times having a song make me want to shed a tear 🕊️ R.I.P to every black man that had to suffer in America
After watching the Billie Holiday documentary i had to post this!, a powerful song risen through poetry, from the ashes of systematic lynchings which was a common sight in the era when the kkk ran riot, written in 1937 but when Lady Day sang it in 1939 it came to life, she put all her past experiences of a hard childhood etc into the song, that it apparently left her audiences spellbound at every concert
As previously mentioned, if a person learned the least about her they would understand the tragic figure she truly is. That, along with the talent that just radiates for every pore of this woman. I mean, her sound itself is so original that’s it’s not matched from what I have seen nearly 100 year later. Her voice and sound is a gateway to getting a small glimpse of what a woman like that professes toward what it was like being her in a time like that. True living poetry!!
We started a unit in history about racism and my history teacher played us this song and I thought it was so sad so now I’m here listening to it some more..
i got chills, and just want to cry for every beautiful indigenous african/african american who suffered the way they did. i hate calling them slaves because they were more than that, slaves were not their identity, maybe to the whites but they deserve to be called by their beautiful race and ethnicity. im indigenous mexican and native, and i would do anything to bring all of our people back who were killed for this country. my heart sinks for the cries and screams that were never heard.
@@LucidKay9114 if you used your brain correctly, i was only referring to African Americans and Indigenous Africans? i was saying Native Americans were killed for this country as well? if youre offended over me mentioning the 6-8 million African Americans/Indigenous Africans AND the 80-100 million Native Americans then scroll passed my comment. I know this was only for the African Americans. The point flew past your fucking head moron. I was saying every race and person that was treated unfair and killed is just fucking sad.
To the whites, they're brothers and friends. Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, John Brown, and many other abolitionist About the slaveowners, no matter which races, all are despicable and deserve to rot in hell
I fight back tears every time. This song scares me and would probably give me nightmares back in the day. So profound, she painted a vivid picture and I received it. 😞🥺
Southern trees bear a 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 magnolia, sweet and fresh Then the sudden smell of burning 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
@JD thank You, be at peace brother: Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’ Deuteronomy 32:35
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My history teacher put this song on and just let it play in silence.
Towards the start the class was sort of smirking at Billie's strange singing tone and the oldness of it.
Then the 'fruit' part clicked with us.
The song ended and the whole class was just dead silent. It was a surreal experience and I'm glad the message got through to us.
I am hearing it only right now at over 50 ...was prompted by the HULU movie ....you had a great teacher
i'm glad your class turned around! i know mine would continue laughing unfortunately
I'm glad I won't be the only teacher showing this to their class in the future. Just the history behind this one song and the historical message alone I could spend a whole High school year on. really wish I could
but not in this country sadly the way things are going. some books I wanted to have students read and cover will soon not be allowed in high school classes the way people are going.
my history teacher did this too on the 2nd to last day of school. it was such a powerful ending to his class
Your history teacher was very wise
One of the deepest, darkest, honest songs ever recorded. Billie is a Goddess and I love her.
dankraven420 it’s doesn’t get any realer than that!!
I agree with that whoever you are Billie Holiday was beautiful
Just watching The View, they were talking about changing lyrics to songs, Sheryl mentioned this song by Billie Holiday listen to it and cried
@@NoNo-ty8qb Yup. A white JEWISH person wrote it. Makes the song even more better.
Me too love her. Her voice pronounced emotional strength
The most haunting song ever recorded. You can feel the pain in Billie's voice. What a brave, strong woman she was.
"Alabama" by john coltrane is also haunting without words, some sort of requiem.
Nyt suomenkielellä, mutta kaksiviikkoa sitten näin eräänlaisen dokumentin Billien elämästä, jossa hän meni jollekin maatilalle, jossa KKK, oli polttaneet maatilan, jossa äitiparka riippui hirtettynä puunoksassa, siitä ilmeisesti syntyi sävellys Stainge Fruit's ja FBI alkoi jahtaamaan Bilöiet
I can hear she's pain in her's voice.
I do like the music of John Coltraine.
Yhe lady got up stood up total respect segrigation is disintergration of a civilsed socioty so stand tall
I just watched “The United States vs Billie Holiday” and learned about this song and the trouble Holiday got into from singing it. I’m speechless. Never have I ever….We owe a lot to these courageous men and women who gave their lives to promote awareness and change.
I saw this movie last month, a masterpiece! 🌹
Heartbreaking💔
I too saw the movie, and was also left speechless! Thank you for posting.
Good for you. Wasn't a lot of good movie. She did a really good job. Didn't see the story was well told it wasn't as dark as well. It was in real life but she was a very courageous woman but young lady. Very proud of her. It's the same she had to die so young
@@espositosiria Y’all ain’t owe us shit we want y’all blood too.
Have you seen Lady sings the blues ft. Diana Ross? It is soooooo good 👍🏽
I remember hearing Strange Fruit for the first time when I was 12 and was going through my grandfather's old vinyls after he had passed away. He had the original shellac vinyl that was made and released in 1939, and my Mother told me that before meeting my grandmother he had a relationship with a black girl while in high school (he was white), and she gave it to him. He said because of her he cared a lot about the Civil Rights Movement and took part in many large protests in Chicago where he lived, and was present at MLK's 'I Have A Dream' speech. The record is now in a frame on the wall, next to a portrait of him.
Edit 1- Thank you all for your kind words, my grandfather is such a special person to me and inspires me to this day. God bless.
Edit 2- I know schools were segregated, I don't know exactly how they met, but obviously they weren't in school together. My great grandparents, Jewish immigrants from Europe, owned and operated a candy shop from the early 20s into the late 40s, near Wrigley Field. So they could have met there, who knows. He kept this relationship to himself until way after my grandmother passed, and even then kept it vague.
That is such a cool story! Your grandfather sounds like an amazing person, may her rest in peace
This is absolutely amazing
Beautiful story
@@nuhaakmel663 grandfather+her? shouldnt it be he
@@caydenshanahan1818 i meant may he Rest in peace
Brave Billie Holiday who sang the truth no matter what the cost.
She was so amazing. So beautiful ❤️ and phenomenal.
@@natashagoldstein878 ❤
Was her’s 1st or Nina’s?!
It's not so much what was sung as much as where
@@marcrichardson517 billie was first by 9 years. 👌
Billie Holiday was threatened by Harry Anslinger, the Head Of the FBI, to stop singing about lynching. She did it anyway and continued to do it no matter what the monster tried to do to ruin her life. Now, Holiday and “Strange Fruit” are still remembered. Anslinger is not.May we all be a badass like Billie one day
What a brave badass!!! Love her!
Periodt ✨💅
harry anslinger was the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. It's his fault that weed is illegal in most parts of the world,
J Edgar Hoover is the guy you're looking for, Angslinger takes order from him.
Holiday marched to the beat of her own drum -- and her conscience. "God Bless the Child", by which I mean Lady Day. F**k Anslinger, another U S Government crook. Today is your birthday, Billie. I honour you for your courage and your indelible talent.
46 and I heard this song for the first time. I wish it were mandatory listening for all American teens in high school.
SAID IT AGAIN
PLEASE 🙏🏾
She was the GOAT of blues, jazz, and her ethics!
They'll call it critical race theory
Yes, true history that was banned in our educational institutions. By who? A bunch of folks that want to perpetuate racism while claiming racism does not exist.
I had a couple of progressive teachers who might have.
The reality of her words are terrifying and haunting. To know human lives has suffered this because of something so simple as their skin color.
that's just the superficial explanation. You gotta harden your heart when you let greed rule your life. Turning people into "things."
And your vocabulary it’s “colour” 🤣🤣😂
Still are a man was just found hanging in MO 2 weeks ago he was a black lives matters activist. Many more have died, in car bombs, and shootings, 2 head shots in one and it was deemed a suicide. nothing has changed black bodies blowing in the wind.
Cee Cee she did t write the words she took them all from a poem
@@thefalconersapprentice2226 uh oh somebody doesnt know there are different spelling oopsies
This song is so moving. The use of the word “fruit” is so masterful in its expression of the commoditization of black people, black bodies, and black souls. Truly a moving experience that made me feel not only like my heart dropped to my stomach but also angry.
The strange fruits of the song are the innocent blacks lynched and hanged from trees..
If you think about it, we are called fruit when we are new life. “Bear fruit” “fruit of my loines” so it was a very smart work to use for this song. Strange for our type of fruit to be hanging from trees.
Lynchings were most prevalent after the American Civil War, so slavery was already abolished, and the literal commoditization of black people was over. So, I wouldn’t say the word fruit is being used symbolically towards what you’re claiming, and I don’t see how any of the lyrics would suggest that either. Fruit hang from trees, and lynchings often used a tree to hang with - strange fruit hanging from those trees.
If you think the commoditization of Black folks ended with slavery, you really need to read up. Black culture and Black bodies were still being exploited, and are still to this day, to a lesser extent. Much in the same way that Black people were still not treated equally under the law with the abolishment of slavery, Black people were still commodities long after it was legal to sell them.
However, I agree completely with your assessment of the lyrics. While a case could be made for Nelson's interpretation, it would be far too much of a stretch.
@Bill Stevens In the late 1930s, Pellison says, Meeropol "was very disturbed at the continuation of racism in America, and seeing a photograph of a lynching sort of put him over the edge."
Meeropol once said the photograph "haunted" him "for days." So he wrote a poem about it, which was then printed in a teachers union publication. An amateur composer, Meeropol also set his words to music. He played it for a New York club owner - who ultimately gave it to Billie Holiday. Lyrics written by a Jewish man.
She lost her life because she refused to stop singing this song...RIP QUEEN
Because she had to live/sing this ballad. There are NO winners.
@Matsumoto Outo Look it up
The drugs and alcohol had nothing to do with her death?
@Matsumoto Outo that is so not true
no. she was a drug addict that ruined her liver
We read and listened to this song in my AP US History class in high school and it has always stuck with me. I think it always will. And I'm proud that my school, or at least my teacher, made a point to share it with us. It's an incredibly powerful song, and despite it's disturbing and distressing allusions, I don't think it should be forgotten anytime soon. We need to enshrine these types of songs and what they represent in our history, remaining diligent to never let it be buried for the sake of "comfort" or "letting the past be the past", lest we lose all that we've already fought for and continue to fight for today.
Thank you for sharing. And George Floyd is another recent victim, not hanging, but pressed to the pavement... 😢
As soon as she says “southern trees bare strange fruit” it just makes my stomach drop I feel like I’m gonna vomit and cry at the same time. The fact this song is called ‘strange fruit’ alone gives off this eerie and dark feel, she’s talking in code and the fact you know what this code is saying makes you feel ashamed because she’s talking about something despicable that happened and we as humans have let it happen.
humans and all other animals have always been violent. don't be shocked
Alex Fox lol is that a justification for what happened? Should I not care or be upset about what happens simply because of your bogus point? Are humans equal to all other animals? Can you compare an animal who needs to hunt to survive and protect themselves to an animal who lives in a comfortable house and deal with most altercations by discussion?
Just Using I think my comment was mostly in regards to your last statement “we as humans have let it happen.” It just sounds like you expected more of humanity when you shouldn’t.
Just Using some animals kill for sport in gruesome ways. My dogs killed my rabbit for sport. They didn’t even eat it. It was just a fun thing to do.
Just Using I don’t know that anyone is trying to justify lynching.
This still remains as one of the darkest songs I have ever heard.
Gloomy Sunday too
same, along with angel of death by slayer, they're both very graphic, and it exposes the evils of man kind
Ever heard The Cruel Mother?
I agree with you Doug
Doug Dugle. I hate this song....true, but hate it!
Grandpa had me listen to this when I was eight years old. He said there is three parts of history, what the government allows you to know, what the schools and books say and what really happened. Here in Canada we studied a bit of U.S. history and we covered the race issues. I was suspended for three days for taking this song and explaining it to the class in a project. Apparently we weren't to speak the truth of the lynchings. I am 55 now and still stand by my project. The suspension affected me so much my dad and grandpa went fishing.
Wait wtf? Suspended for explaining this song? The truth?
@@bda529 yes and got a ten day suspension for my project on residential schools. It was not on any school board approved study programs. I went fishing then too lol
You're grandpa was a great man!
Sadly, you'd probably be suspended today in some US states. They're making America (.)Again.
I would've found a way to make all my projects either pertaining to her or even more disturbing so they could see the truth lol. There's a website that host collections of pics from and before the lynching time period they would have HATED me 😂
This song has a certain feeling to it that I'm unsure if I can describe properly.
It's absolutely horrifying; the music, the lyrics, the *meaning* behind the lyrics, Billie's voice... It all brings such a sense of unease and horror.
But it also somehow manages to be beautiful and powerful, especially once you take into consideration how she was willing to lose her career so as to sing about the atrocities commuted towards black people in USA.
I've heard of this woman and the song "Strange Fruit" today and I can already say that I am in awe
Extra credits?
Sometimes the truth hurts but it's necessary , I will pass this information to family members younger than me
As a European citizin i can not imagine what happened that time during centurys in the US ?
How can you be so low ? Still now,some are KKK beasts ? Terrorists allowed ?
Yes sir
Possibly the most haunting song ever recorded
Oh definitely not "possibly" IT FREAKING IS dude. I once heard it back in my 10th grade in high school. My teacher was teaching us how genocide and racism was like back in the days and she played this song. It has haunted me ever since, there's not a single strand of hair in my body that doesnt stand up.
Hands down it's like a thousand Sade songs at once
@@garrisonsmallwood3105 lol king of sorrow times 9999999999
mon chat addore billie holiday
@@anabel5205 my teacher showed the class the picture that inspired the song. I don’t recommend searching it up
Billie Holiday. Nina Simone. Aretha Franklin. These three American ladies awed and haunted me with their songs, their voices, the way they sing. Love them all.
And Ella Fitzgerald
funny thats cap tho
True
Same here!
@@erbs41532 Just stfu
Hopefully people know that this song was initially a Poem but Billie was so struck by it that she took it upon herself to spread it with her status as a singer at that time.
By Abel Meeropol who wrote as Lewis Allan, his poem set to music as a protest song, late '30's, sung by Laura Duncan
I don’t think they do, they all so pressed
The woman was talented and strong.
@Chiefing N Cheesing in the book 700 Sundays about his father, Billy Crystal tells the story about his uncle, Milt Gabler, who recorded this song. He told Billy that she sang this to him acapella, and he cried like a baby when he heard it the first time. He made it his mission to have it recorded since Billie Holiday felt Columbia Records didn't want to record it. His uncle was one of our musical greats behind the scenes in the history of music. If you haven't read it, 700 Sundays is a fantastic book. You take care🙂
Her voice will never be matched! Amazing. The controversy came from the poet. A white man. But it was too racist. The world has gotten smarter except for some that perpetuate the past
Strange Fruit was written by Abel Meeropol, a NYC school,teacher, who adopted the 2 sons of Julius and Erthel Rosenberg, executed in 1953 for passing secrets about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Billie paid a heavy price for continuing to sing this amazingly moving song despiite threats. Her performance is perfection.
What is truly amazing about Bilie singing this song in her era was that she sang this at most of her concerts.
Wikipedia: Holiday first performed the song at Cafe Society in 1939. She said that singing it made her fearful of retaliation but, because its imagery reminded her of her father, she continued to sing the piece, making it a regular part of her live performances.[12] Because of the power of the song, Josephson drew up some rules: Holiday would close with it; the waiters would stop all service in advance; the room would be in darkness except for a spotlight on Holiday's face; and there would be no encore.[9] During the musical introduction, Holiday stood with her eyes closed, as if she were evoking a prayer.
I just watched the part of the Ken Burns' Jazz documentary where the narrator talks about this song and about the first time she ever sang it in public. It was in front of an integrated audience at a place called Cafe Society in Greenwich Village. The narrator said that when Billie was finished, there was complete silence in the room. A minute or two later, one person began nervously clapping in the back. That person was soon joined by the rest of the audience in applause. Amazing stuff. I just wish that the topic of this song was something completely fictional. Unfortunately it's not.
Freedom is under attack from the left and parts of the right the Globalist NWO BE WARNED!
Its not just about black's any more or ever to me
@Door Bell Your full of it
And not only that. She would have to get so high on cocaine for her to have her bearings to sing this.
Door Bell wow you really missed the point there didn’t you buddy
Blood on the trees .Blood on the roots.This song is so poetic and haunting..You can imagine at that time the shock the smell the actual pain of living in this era.and surviving...
Curtistine Miller. Human killing humans. When will it stop. When God destroy s this wicked world. True Paradise is human living in peace without destroying their brothers and sisters.
This is the so called "Land of Freedom".
I just found out that this was a poem written by a Jewish man! Beautiful....painful but absolutely beautiful.
Lord Farquaad I understand that. I just never knew it was originally a poem that was written by a Jewish man...
Dee D yesss
For those who need to read along:
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
Thanks
xJustBeingRealx it’s in description
Thank you.
😢
Thank you
Being the grandchild of black southerners and hearing their stories of how things were back then makes this song's impact deeper
To me this song belongs in the pantheon of genius. Not a song that you can like and certainly not dislike, however it achieves the distinction of being a song that one can only respect. I just hpoe that we never get to any kind of situation that a song like this should ever have to be written again. God bless all those innocents to whom this song refers.
jason ward well put
I'm searching for masterpieces so I thought I'd come here.
jason ward nina simones is the original
wrong.
jason ward totally agree!
I am glad they have a movie about Billie Holiday's career and singing this song, we need to see the truth about our corrupt Government.
I've just watched the film. Even as an English person I was horrified at what Billie went through.
Lisa Lovelace,
You need to stop promoting racism,and hatred.
@@lorraineforte9175 how is speaking facts promoting racism and hatred? Please enlighten us 🤔
Indeed!!! I never realized the fight she had with the government to sing this song. Smh. And then at the end of movie to see the Emmett Till Anti Lynching Act was considered by the senate in 2/2020 and has Yet to be passed. 😡😡😡
I love the movie it’s so good.
our government sucks honestly
So many had to die because of what the government didn’t like
Song gave me the creeps. Can only shake my head at this truth. This is heavy.
im scared rn
Billie Holiday was a Civil Rights Icon!! Never Forgotten💕🙏🏾
I don't know another song with lyrics this intense and soul piercing
Anti Centrist are u seriously defending lynching?!? LYNCHING?!?!? people are so damn ignorant oh my god
You have never heard "Angelitos Negros" is in Spanish so you probably never will, in this song the author ask a painter why there are no black angels in his paintings and tells him the black angels (kids) go to heaven as well (that is the short version). Is a very beautiful song with a very deep message... There is even a movie by Pedro Infante called Angelitos Negros...
Damn Mississippi by Nina Simone
TheOneWho Yawns Take a listen to "Dance with the devil" by Immortal Technique. The only song I can think of that might top this
Abel Meeropol, a Jewish high school teacher in New York wrote this song after hearing of a lynching in a newspaper.
They told the hospital to stop medication for her and she died. She wouldn't stop singing it and was basically murdered for the truth.
That's not true.
@@pepitolok1 So what is "true" according to you?
Nymeria723 She died because of alcohol and drug related complications
@@naru2940 Yes, thank you for stating the obvious. She died because her "alcohol and drug complications" were not being treated by her doctors, who were ordered to withhold treatment. I guess you're going to write everyone else who has written what really happened to Billie the same obvious comment? Good luck with that, then.
@Nymeria723 All I did was just research kid lmao 😂
Banned at the time but now rightfully recognised as a 20th century classic
Peter Green anything or anyone that tells the truth get banned
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Fruit
Hello - can you please expand on the claim of the recording being banned?
I wrote a paper on this song for my History of Rock and Roll class in college. That assignment really opened my eyes to a lot of things.
Born 1941, listened to this on the radio as a child. It never left me. This Voice, this pain. I did not speak a word of english then, but the the pain came through, still does.
💗💗💗
Before her words come over the airwaves, the trumpets wailing notes tell you all you need to know go the struggle the song details. Truly a haunting piece worth immortalizing.
I’m sitting on the floor in my hallway grieving the loss of an innocent black man and this song was ringing in my ears. I feel empty and hurt and listening to this...how can people still care so little about human life?
It hits close to home because this song is relevant even today
I care, almost everyone I know cares. WE care. Please know. We care. We are with you.
The life of the black man in America have reached the throne room of God. How long Lord? Not long. And then eternity to pay. America you will go down in the dust
The grief overtook me on Monday night
I had felt ill for days then I felt hurt and anger. Then finally the grief. I felt like I was weeping for every black man in this nation
The ONLY people who don’t care about George Floyd were the four cops!
For anyone who is interested there is a great book called Chasing the Scream. It's about how the "war on drugs" started but Billie is actually a key component to the story. It goes into her life story and it is a must read. It's tragic but you have to understand how much adversity this lady endured and what she was able to accomplish through it all. It's really astounding.
Growing up I didn’t understand the meaning of this song. Now that I’m an adult the meaning holds such a deeper meaning the sad truth of what our ancestors had to go through I give my deepest respect to them. Happy African American History Day !
❤️🖤💚✊🏾
In my school I am studying International relations and in one subject called USA and Canada: History and Polítics, we had a lecture about the KKK and the Jim Crow Laws and I told the teacher about this song while watching an image of a lynching in the Deep South and I read the lyrics of this song in front of the class (which nobody but me knew about the song) and they were quite shocked specially the teacher
You can learn very well from music
I am a light skin Mexican and I love African American music, it’s very beautiful!!!
There's absolutely NOTHING beautiful about this song!
You mean American music, there isnt a difference between africian american and anerican
Purple Set that is all in your mindset. If your ancestors were alive today to see all the changes being made they wouldn't believe it's America. We're living in a time where there isn't any law preventing you from doing something bc of your skin. There isnt an invisible hand hindering you because of your skin, what ever you say and believe thats how you see it, say you see green every where and you don't see red, its what you wanna see
Purple set. I have a lot of native American in me. We all know my people was wronged as well. I just want to see people get along. The hate has to stop somewhere. I know know it will never completely stop. We all of us have to start somewhere.
Did you know they lynched Mexicans too? I saw a documentary and was shocked.
This song and her life needs to be in the school's curriculum
I agree
Kelli that’s funny because in my history class the other day we had to annotate the lyrics... and boy am I glad we did!
Actually, it is! I am learning about Billie and her life is English class. Now we are working on her other song "Am I Blue?"
It was in my history class back in 2015. I'm from MD so I'm not sure if its anywhere else.
@@Themoment888 I found out about holiday because of history
I as a 6th grade student was introduced to Billy Holiday and this piece by my Beatnik teacher back in the 1950s. She opened my eyes and ears to things that were not always mentioned. I, to this day thank her for educating me to the deeper aspects of our American history and the different choices of great music.
I was on the verge of crying first time i heard this.
The way i see it,
Even though i'm white, every injustice done to any group that i "don't belong to" is still an injustice done to My people.
Race is an artificial construct,
Every human being is part of My people, we should all equally be hurt by past and current events.
🙏🏾🙏🏾😩
Why be hurt by past events? Can you change it? Can you physically go back in time and change history? No you can't. Stop living in the past and bringing it to the present. People like you are the problem here. I'm not racist by any means, I hate everyone equally. The fact that the past pains you is kind of ridiculous. What hurts you so bad? The fact that slavery happened? Guess what? White people were slaves well before Africans were brought to America by boat. The Turkish empire and most African countries were going to England, Scotland, Ireland and other white majority countries to steal white men, women and children from their families. So tell me what about slavery hurts you. You're dumb if you think black people are the only ones to go through a heinous act of slavery. Learn some real history. Not the shit they teach at school.
You should cry especially since it’s your ancestors who did all these despicable acts to other innocent human beings. You should hurt enough to want to see change because your people are still lynching people who look like me
Amen
@@Paklite455 nobody is lynching y'all anymore. Seriously. That's over with. I'm not apologizing for shit I didn't do just like I wouldnt expect an apology from anyone treating my Irish ancestors or my Cherokee ancestors the way they did. The world was a different place and we all know no race is more superior to the other. The US isn't as racist as you like to think it is. Otherwise, we wouldn't have POCs at every level of government all the way up to the presidency. Go look up what color the first legal slave owner was. He wasn't white. Then go look up the color of the first slaves brought to the US and their ages. Guess what? They weren't black OR adults.
Why don't you focus on the slavery still going on in Libya? China? India? Syria? Better yet try to focus and the human and child trafficking of all races happening across the globe at this very minute. over 3 million children go missing in the US alone every year. Most of those children are trafficked.
Story Time: My history teacher (I'm in 7th grade) told us he played this song to one of his classes a couple of years ago. One of his students told their mom, which later told the principal. He got in trouble over it. He told us how the parent was yelling and saying all these things about how the students should not be listening to this. My teacher kept asking them, " Did you listen to the song?" They would say that they didn't need to. When they finally did listen to it, they apologized.
Now it was my turn to listen to it....I'm glad I did
My heart bleeds and the tears fall as I listen to the words expressed through Billie's poignantly haunting song...what have we done to our brothers and sisters? How could we have treated those poor people the way we did? I feel so terribly sad and pray that history will never ever repeat itself in this manner. RIP beautiful souls.
School parents are annoying af
I was never forbidden to listen to any music in my youth or told that this or that person was evil and for that I'm grateful. I went on to study music, all music, including jazz. In fact, my alma mater has one of the finest jazz programs in the country. My instrument was the organ, but I knew I still needed to understand jazz. Every great American musical form has as its inspiration black music! In 2000, I led a choir to Italy and there we received standing ovations for three pieces we performed--all three black spirituals!
This is what I learned about today in history
Me too my school played it and still do I think, only thing that stuck with me tbh
This is one of the scariest songs of all time.
Imagine living this song... It astonished me the amount evil and hatred one person can inhabit in their entire Being...
@@rubymaclin5512 for being darker in color.
I thought i was the only one
@brayla rimmer this is fuckin scary , imagine living in a time where your kind literally has a song on them being lynched
Its the saddest and most heartbreaking
It's amazing how she could sing about something utterly appalling and make it beautiful.
Oh, dear Lord, this song and the terrible truth behind it is breaking my heart. So much suffering. My heart is with all of you who are still bearing the hardships and ugliness of racism. You don't deserve to be mistreated. You deserve respect and care and love for who you are -- God's beautiful sons and daughters.
Hello Teresa McGill how are you ?
@MelaninGoddess Jewels thank you!! I’m sick of their fake sympathy especially since they haven’t changed one bit, they are still killing us and celebrating about it on Twitter
@@Paklite455 Society hasn't changed one bit? Lmao
No sympathy here. Everyone's ancestors have been oppressed in one way or another. Everyone has the opportunity to change their path and break the cycle if they choose.
No one is killing you. You have a computer to comment on you tube. Life ain't so bad.
Change is inevitable. We are always growing and learning from our sins.
I'm so sick of talking about what color we are. Who cares. We need to get past it and just be good to each other. God bless.
I don't understand... Sure many are still horrible towards our community. But why being that way when some support us? Just one person won't change every racists and stupid people. Who said she doesn't try to talk to them? We don't know. Unfortunately many don't want to change whatever you say and want to stay in their toxic and ugly mind. But why rejecting those who support us and care about us (even though they're a small percentage) if we want people to recognize that we matter? It doesn't make sense : / personally I always keep in mind that there are good and bad everywhere so, if we see the bad we can also see the good as tiny as it is. Of course that's my opinion.
(my english isn't great but I hope my comment is understandable)
@@Paklite455 degenerate race baiter
This song is powerful man!
Anthony Perez man? IM TRIGGERED!
Anthony P
erez
fuck yourself
Nina samones is better
Anthony Perez I
I’m lost for words! First time hear this song at 42 years of age. Her voice is magical!
Its ok sis! You here now. I implore u to listen to more of her music/lyrics! Salaam
This track changed my life. I spent my youth campaigning against prejudice....then spent the next 60 years learning about humans. Eternal thanks to Billie Holiday, incomparable
As a black person listening to this song makes me feel so eerie and uncomfortable because I could almost picture what happens I the song and it just feel so uncomfy by it
Yeah 100 percent
I got the same feeling
just reading ur comment even made me feel uneasy
who will survive this place when it's all over i wonder?
I know you commented this 2 years ago. But it's understandable. This wasn't a long time ago in history, and to think white folk were so easily brainwashed to think these actions were OK is terrifying.
I look back in history and wonder how evil had such a vicegrip on our souls.
THE most powerful song about racism in the world.
And im white
@@maureenalbersworth3142 ?
The blackberry the berry and compete
@@maureenalbersworth3142 ...?
@@maureenalbersworth3142 nobody asked
I had to analyze this song in my American Lit class. Luckily I have a amazing teacher that wants us to read about the genocide of the Tainos and slave narratives. I'm very thankful to have a teacher teach us all aspects of reading/writing, I would have never known how many lynchings and vile humans there were, and some still are. I love this song, but it's very heartbreaking to listen to. I hope everything will get better in America and all over the world, everyone is created equal.
That sounds very good, would you care to email me your teachers email address?
I hope she got an A! I will email your teacher too! 😊
RooFooChoo Yes it is heart breaking, this is what your modern day republicans want to take America back to X
Dude I'm here for the same reason! :D
Totaly right
Her voice alone has so much power. The courage she had to be singing such a song at a time when it was forbidden to speak on lynchpin, makes her amazing. ❤
Wow. The way she sings this is chilling. What a powerful, haunting song. It should never be forgotten.
Who's here in February 2021, smh w/ tears in my eyes...
WOW!!! Check out the powerful performance of "Strange Fruit" by the amazing 3 MO' DIVAS on the Showbiz Stories channel! A very unique arrangement combined with the rarely heard haunting "Lament"!
Same tears running down my face right now
Me. I’m here cuz of the United States vs. Billie Holiday
ANDREA DAY DID HER DAMN THANG
2024 after Malcolm's birthday
If you read her life story, you will see that she paid a heavy price for singing this song. The FBI basically destroyed her career.
Yeah...thanks to NPR for the story
Nat Npr are the only one that tell true stories like this
@@itsbeyondme5560 Any link to listen to that?
@@itsbeyondme5560 link? or name of the piece?
@@TheSopyka Can't find the link but this is a short version
th-cam.com/video/jAjtjMZGSTY/w-d-xo.html
This woman had more courage and talent in her than anyone these days. We need to learn from her example.
holy god who is on trumpet that shit made my spine tingle and my legs shake
Jordan Tulinsky same
I'm not sure if this is the 1939 recording or the 1944 recording, but Frankie Newton played trumpet on the 1939 version.
I think this is the original Commodore recording - with the long Sonny White Piano intro - so you would be right on 1939. Amazing we are still talking about this song and its impact nearly 80 years after its recording
Jordan Tulinsky This actually makes me shiver. In the opening the high note slices right through the soul and the last note narrates the result. Of course Billie puts the whole universe in every word. It’s not even performing, it’s a state of grace made manifest. And that is beauty
Lol!!!
I absolutely adored this song for years.
you see, english is not my first language and for all this years I never quite listened to lyrics. just the magnificent melody. only today i thought about meaning behind them. and now i finally got it.
oh god, my heart broke for everyone who suffered from lynching in south. it’s just... i have no words 🥺
God bless my ancestors. 60 plus years and this song is still relevant. I'm sad that I am 44 years old and this is my first time hearing this. I didn't learn this in school during black history month. There's too much black history to try to fit in one month. The shortest month at that. There's no America without black people.😥😥
A lot of blacks were not taught about their history in school for obvious reasons, family members, friends, and other older people told stories, and as I got older and even now I am still learning, I will pass what I learn to my grands, great granddaughter and others.
If you are more American than you are "black", than surely the American history taught through the other 11 months is as important to you?
@@ljones2087dude American history is black history the fact it's relegated to just a month is just evil
A very beautifuly sung, somber and blunt song that doesnt waste time or words and gets the message out loud and clear. Its a shame it was ever needed . I admire Billie Holiday for singing the truth .
Thank you Billie Holiday for expressing what you witnessed into such a poetic form of music.
She didm written this song. It was a jew calles Allen Lewis.
One of the most moving songs, people like her don't get the recognition they deserve for what they done, beautiful and inspiring
Omg this song brought tears to my eyes! So hauntingly beautiful!
Her voice tears through the air. Words so powerful. I never heard anything like it.
This song scares me every time. Just gives me the willies. It's so purposefully ugly. Your artistic side wants to listen for some beauty in it, but it seems to deny you that with a hint of anger every time. It gets you to give up on hope, it faults you for seeking pleasure, it turns the pass time of leisure into the destruction of naivete, it strips down all the layers to leave just a candid impression so familiar yet too harsh for many of us not to commonly ignore. And it is real. It is hideous. And I can't stop listening to it.
Truth is never ugly!
Greg Gregory huh???
Greg Gregory i don’t know about that one...
The lyrics take you from the seductive warmth of a southern summer night to the depths of hell in just a few lines.
You're never actually told what is going on, it's left for you to figure it out for yourself, and when you do...
It's genius writing, and Miss Holiday's interpretation, sung as if she's mourning privately to herself, is a perfect match.
@@AbsentWithoutLeaving Yeah! :)
This song absolutely tears my soul in half! To think that the human brain is capable of making such decisions as to put people through that horror absolutely petrifies me! I hope they have all rested in peace and they continue to live on somewhere beautiful! Breaks my fucking heart! It really does!
What makes you think people wouldn't be capable of this public execution was extremely popular
this s an eternal song. will never die through the age..
There are no words to utter when you hear this; only a sobering and deep silence, out of respect for this heavy hearted song. So somber, cynic but out of hurt and not irony. Must never be forgotten so we are reminded to act right in the future, never to fall into that disgraceful hole again as a society
Go read the stories of how she performed this song. It's some of the most metal and gutsy stuff I've read. A lot of respect for her and the poem's author.
It’s a simple song but it’s powerful, gruesome but it hits you
@@Cheyannesorelle - It's the simplicity that really makes it hit so hard. A few lines describing an idyllic, warm summer night, but you slowly realise there's something a little off-key about it, something wrong...but you're left to figure out for yourself just exactly what it is. I think making the listener arrive at the truth for themself is what makes it so powerful.
Abel Meeropol
Honestly , this song has truly touched me . It’s so deep , it’s so raw and real . I can see her hurt through this epic song . And I can only imagine , how African Americans feel hearing this . It truly brought me to tears . I’m so sorry your ancestry went through this .
As I processed it all it is just a sad reminder of how arbitrary and capricious our government can be.When you have an Executive branch of our justice system calls feeding less furtunate children (nefarious activity),there is no end to what they will do to target you and put you away or even kill you.I'm living proff.
Never.have heard this song until today. So ashamed!!! Heard it through Lee Daniel's movie!! Ashamed to be white listening to this shit!! No more bitter fruit than this hanging in poplar trees. AM with you. We are ALL HUMAN. Sing it Billie. RIP!!!
I'm french and my english teacher played it during lessons when i was younger..maybe 10 years ago...and that's still deeply upsetting.... Never forget..
This song gives me goosebumps, a very tragic reminder of how horrible people can be.
Today I won her vinyl over a radio show contest. As soon as they said “Our mystery artist was a strange fruit...” - I knew. ❤️ Billie, you are loved!
When I realised. The fruit metaphor is... Its world crushing
Love to see another peep profile on such a profound song💜🖤
@@darrensmith6504 ayyyy what's up. I feel like some people think people with no music taste and jsut wanna listen to something egy are usually the stereotype peep fans. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who genuinely appricate music for itself and keeps there mind open ❤️
How long it tooks you ?
Did the black bodies on the trees part seriously fly right past you?
Everyone in these comments chill it only took me like halfway through 🤣
Most haunting song ever. Sung with a beautiful voice, and strong lyrics.
Im so grateful for Billie Holliday. She was so brave and courageous and it costed her her life. Thank you Ms. Holliday you were your own force BEFORE the Civil Rights Movement. To sing this message for 20 years and 60 years later its still relevant and prevalent in our culture is just so sad. Thank you Ms. Holliday I truly appreciate your stance to end the lynching of our people.
We need to be blaring this from every speaker on the planet. It's so sad that so many of us don't know this song.
WOW!!! Check out the powerful and poignant performance of Strange Fruit by the amazing 3 MO' DIVAS on the Showbiz Stories channel! A very unique arrangement combined with the rarely heard Lament!
Amen!
Lol it was your grandmother doing it
How are you Alexandra Clemons
Legit gives me chills! Sad TIK ToK brought me here - hadn’t heard this before hearing someone protest out against the viral sample of this song and speak on what it actually meant😩
Lmao it’s messed up but blood on the leaves needa drop
Same!
Imagine plot twist he makes a music video for it and he’s saving slaves from trees and telling people in kkk uniforms to freeeeezzzeeee
@@beenthe4892 what is wrong with you? why would you want people dancing to black trauma? And for it to be a trendy song that people dance to not knowing the true meaning behind it?
Me too
This trumpet oh my god, so much emotions with few notes !
Truly an incredible song, it's amazing how talent and revendications, when mixed up, create pure art.
RIP Billie Holiday, may your soul be in peace.
The wailing trumpet along with sonny white's piano chords got my spine freezing
A true GODDESS who never gets any of the credit. It would be definitely no Sade, and no Diana Krawl (Definitely not!) without this Queen of Jazz!
I cannot believe I only just found this. I've got fucking chills.
You will have more than that when you see how God repays the gene pool of people that did this.
@@gbot9000 I think there’s already someone who continues Billie’s legacy called Angelina Jordan
@@gbot9000 settle down bloke God isn't real. Lol science is
@@daggermouth4695 Opinions exist too :)
@@daggermouth4695 as if it’s either god or science lmao, who told you they can’t coexist?
==========lyrics=============
Southern trees bear a 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.
Thank you. I did not hear it all and you clarified it for me. Sad, very sad song but in the day -- truthful. No matter what color we are -- somewhere people have been burned one way or another -- however, we must learn by these songs and history so that we can hopefully rectify the wrongs for those who are gone.
it's in the description.
This song should be constantly blasted through out Ferguson, MO, Orlando, FL, and Staten Island, NY and my high school.
No it shouldn't. Let me enlighten you friend. Anyone with the power and passion to utilize the VOICE would appall the disruptions occurring in Ferguson, or anywhere else you have listed. If you learn to be heard. If what you say is valid you will be heard. There is no need for violence. To burn buildings or flip cars. It expresses nothing other than weakness. Now if you take a step back you would see your comment looks as if it was thought and typed by an angry ten year old.
Playing music is not violence, friend! Seems to me you're the one with the angry post! I said nothing about condoning violence.
I'm talking about to those who believe there is no problem. Those who think there is nothing systemically wrong. She sang that song to awaken people to injustice. It is that message I believe people still need to hear.
Yes it should. Folk will tell you differently and some of them might even be well-meaning. But those that know must not forget, those that forget must be reminded and those that want us to be quiet should shut the hell up.
Ngoma Bishop I once heard the above phrase from a Jewish Woman that had survived Auschwitz when asked why she still wears the numbers tattooed into her arm.
Never heard of Billie holiday, I came from the breakfast club interview with DR. Cornel West, one of my first times having a song make me want to shed a tear 🕊️ R.I.P to every black man that had to suffer in America
I'm delighted to see so many young people in touch with her story. (I'm old.) God bless us all. RIP Mme. Holiday.
Wicked nation than and still wicked nation now, run by wicked leadership. Well said Billie Holiday. Bravo Salute ! ✊🏿✊🏿
" STRANGE FRUIT USED TO HANG FROM THE TREE, NOW THEY LIE ON THE GROUND --COVERED IN BLOOD." M. C. KELLY
yeezus sampled this
better lyrics above
No there are still being strange fruit till this day, it being done differently FACTS
Tears!
Frightenly real!!
This is one of the scariest, yet most impactful songs I have heard.
This song is chilling, I got goosebumps right now...
After watching the Billie Holiday documentary i had to post this!, a powerful song risen through poetry, from the ashes of systematic lynchings which was a common sight in the era when the kkk ran riot, written in 1937 but when Lady Day sang it in 1939 it came to life, she put all her past experiences of a hard childhood etc into the song, that it apparently left her audiences spellbound at every concert
J Eshun than she died
Jazz music is so emotional, true and sad at the same time. Rip 🙏🏽
As previously mentioned, if a person learned the least about her they would understand the tragic figure she truly is. That, along with the talent that just radiates for every pore of this woman. I mean, her sound itself is so original that’s it’s not matched from what I have seen nearly 100 year later. Her voice and sound is a gateway to getting a small glimpse of what a woman like that professes toward what it was like being her in a time like that. True living poetry!!
We started a unit in history about racism and my history teacher played us this song and I thought it was so sad so now I’m here listening to it some more..
I am so glad we got to hear this in English. This song is so deep and haunting. Still gives me chills.
Everyone should hear this song at least once.
Everyone should hear it but I don't think it will be understood. Billie's style, her voice, her inflection and pain really touched me.
Stirred with emotion.
Saw her movie last night.
What a courageous woman!! What a voice!!
i got chills, and just want to cry for every beautiful indigenous african/african american who suffered the way they did. i hate calling them slaves because they were more than that, slaves were not their identity, maybe to the whites but they deserve to be called by their beautiful race and ethnicity. im indigenous mexican and native, and i would do anything to bring all of our people back who were killed for this country. my heart sinks for the cries and screams that were never heard.
this is just for African Americans
@@LucidKay9114 if you used your brain correctly, i was only referring to African Americans and Indigenous Africans? i was saying Native Americans were killed for this country as well? if youre offended over me mentioning the 6-8 million African Americans/Indigenous Africans AND the 80-100 million Native Americans then scroll passed my comment. I know this was only for the African Americans. The point flew past your fucking head moron. I was saying every race and person that was treated unfair and killed is just fucking sad.
@@kennahthemartian252 calm down.
Enslaved... meaning someone did it to them.
To the whites, they're brothers and friends.
Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, John Brown, and many other abolitionist
About the slaveowners, no matter which races, all are despicable and deserve to rot in hell
I fight back tears every time. This song scares me and would probably give me nightmares back in the day. So profound, she painted a vivid picture and I received it. 😞🥺
She talking about Mary Turner who was handed on a tree by the descendants of esau which are the so called white man women and child.
@@thefenns8083There is a song called Mary Turner Mary Turner bij Xiu Xiu that makes you feel the absolute terror of the story. So haunting...
Southern trees bear a 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 magnolia, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning 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
@JD thank You, be at peace brother:
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
Deuteronomy 32:35
The lyrics are in the descriptions.
Such vivid imagery.
Wow!
Oh my God! So sad 😞 😥
This song will never not shake me to my core.