Music: "Strange Fruit," 1939
As a poem written by schoolteacher and writer Abel Meeropol - the man who adopted the children of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg - "Strange Fruit" was first published in 1937 in "The New Masses," a prominent Marxist publication; eventually, it was set to music and, over time, introduced to Billie Holiday.
Holiday began performing the song in 1939 and always feared retaliation from audiences; she was supposedly thrown out of more than a few nightclubs because of the song. Eventually, her manager drew up a set of rules: "Strange Fruit" would only be performed as the last song of the night with all lights out save a spotlight on Holiday's face. No table service would run during this performance.
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black body 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
And 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 a tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
Holiday's record label, Columbia, refused to allow her to record the song, as their affiliates - including CBS - wouldn't allow it. Eventually, she managed to secure a temporary release from Columbia's contract during which she recorded "Strange Fruit" off-label.
"Strange Fruit" became Holiday's biggest-selling record and remains an important song frequently covered by other musical luminaries including Nina Simone, Tori Amos, Sting, Diana Ross, Lou Rawls and the Cocteau Twins.
Holiday died in 1959, destitute and deteriorated by alcohol and drug abuse.
