This is possibly the saddest, creepiest song ever made. It will make one cold, but warm from the engine of it's artistic fire. It is Billy Holiday's classic, Strange Fruit; a very controversial--at the time--song about rascism and hangings in the south. The lyrics are not pretty and that is the point. Art should at times stare you in the face and point out the differing poxes enherent in the world today. Racism being our worst in America, by far. This is a universal song. For all ears. Too bad the woman who sang it had to die in a depressed fog--and at such a young age. Heroin did what the racists could not. A sad, but brilliant lady. This song is a must hear for any fan of great music. Prince could learn from a song this good.

Strange Fruit
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 the 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.

2freaky4church1 said:

Surely you're not saying that Prince should record a song as bluntly visceral as this? Some of his fans would run around like chickens with their heads cut off convinced of how racist he's become.

Anyway, the song's author is Abel Meeropol, better known as Lewis Allen. Billie was the first artist to record it.

The song isn't racist you ditz.

2freaky4church1 said:

I didn't say it was, jackass. Learn to discern.

Actually, Prince has been racist on an album. TRC is full of racist stuff.

I don't mean 2 clown you but her name is Billie Holiday not "Billy".

And yes I totaly agree with your observation about the song. If I'm gonna praise that woman I might as well write a book with so many volumes.

it is a deep song and made me want 2 feel like crying when i heard it. I sampled her saying "black bodies swingin'" in an old slow song of mine. yeah it is sad, and i havent listened 2 it since 2001...2 sad

it moves me still&as a matter of Fact I saw a Performance of Her Performing it on PBS the Other Night&you just are glued to how She presents the Song.when you have a True Artist like Lady Day it doesn't matter who writes the Songs because She had a Way with Words&Made the Song Her Own.

billie makes you feel every word she says...

i love her...

2freaky4church1 said:

Thank you for proving my point.

2freaky4church1 said:

whatever

There's a very very good Tricky remix of this track, which can be found on the "Verve Remixed" compilation (the original version on "Verve Unmixed" - duh). Musically, it fits the mood of the song perfectly.

McGee

It's truly haunting I really like Cassandra Wilson's take on it too - different vibe, very nice...

Like CalhounSq said, it's haunting. I also like Tori Amos'
version of it. It's a heavy song but she pulled it off very
nicely.

This song IS deep, sad, & unfortunately based on some hard, evil truth.

I was flipping channels late Sunday night when I came across a program on PBS about this very song, "Strange Fruit".. it was quite interesting. This is the type of show that NBC or CBS or Fox should have on, in prime time (of course, this will NEVER happen.)

Damn.

CalhounSq said:

I was just about to post that, her voice was very potent on that cover.