Many songs have been meaningful and carried a strong message, but Strange Fruit written by Abel Meeropol in the late 1930’s genuinely changed the world.
The song has become such a part of the Civil Rights movement that within the past few years a book as well as a documentary (Independent Lens . STRANGE FRUIT . The Film | PBS) has been released.
Lyrics to Strange Fruit
It has been hailed as the original protest song and the simple lyrics paint a disturbing portrait of a time in history that is often denied. The lyrics mention with disturbing images the "strange fruit" hanging from trees in the south and blood on the roots.
The poem is disturbing with its graphic images and haunting music that gives the song an eerie overtone that is not quite jazz but is also not blues. The song makes many listeners angry and sad when bringing these visions to light.
Abel Meeropol and Lynching
Abel Meeropol wrote countless poems and songs during his lifetime. He was also known for adopting the children of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg after they were executed. But it was the message he delivered in Strange Fruit that makes people remembers his name.
The song started off innocently as a poem written when Abel Meeropol, a school teacher, saw a photo that depicted a black man being lynched in the Deep South. In the half century before 1940 it is estimated that there were at least 4,000 lynchings, the largest number being in the south with most of the victims black.
During this time there was little legal action taken against perpetrators of these crimes. Using the pen name Lewis Allan he wrote the poem to describe the atrocities he saw. The poem was first published by the Marxist publication The New Masses and was later set to music. The song caught the attention of a nightclub owner who shared it with Billie Holiday. Holiday loved the song and wanted to record it but her record company refused. Not taking no for an answer, Holiday went to a different record label and released the song in 1939.
Civil Rights Movement
The song became an instant hit with civil right devotees but was not universally popular. Billie Holiday was often abused, physically and emotionally, by night club owners and patrons when she performed the song. Radio stations wouldn’t touch the song and an article in Time magazine, at the time, labels the song as musical propaganda. Even with the ban from radio stations, the song did manage to make it to number 16 on the pop charts during 1939.
What kept the song in the people’s ears were activists who sent copies of the record to congressmen and senators and helped make the song a rallying cry against the racism of the day. While racism was not limited to the South, it was there that the lynching of young black males seemed to be an everyday occurrence.
A large percentage of white men in the South during this time believed that blacks needed to learn their place and remain there. It was this large group of racists who had caused the feeling of unrest and started the movement for civil rights. The song Strange Fruit brought these injustices to the forefront of the American populace.
Lady Sings the Blues
The song has been performed by many artists, the two most famous are by Billie Holiday and Josh White. It has also been covered by contemporary artists such as Sting and UB40 . At one time Billie Holiday claimed that she co-wrote the music to the song but in actuality, Meeropol was sole writer of both lyrics and music. This was a rumor started with the autobiography of Billie Holiday “Lady Sings the Blues.” She was given credit by Meeropol for her rendition making such an enormous impression.
The song so motivated and stirred people’s emotions that after it was played in 1939, Samuel Grafton wrote in the New York Post “Even now, as I think of it, … I want to hit someone.”
Abel Meeropol’s adopted son Michael told an interviewer on PBS “Until the last racist is dead, Strange Fruit is relevant.” Robert Meeropol, Abel’s other adopted son, stated they still receive royalties from the song.
Strange Fruit represents a time that is often a source of shame and embarrassment for Americans. However, it is important that Americans remember this time to make sure it these attitudes are never allowed to become part of our culture again.
Brenda Gargus - Brenda Gargus has a Masters' degree in Psychology and an undergraduate degree in Education. She has taught for 29 years in a variety of ...
