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20 Protest Songs That Matter: No. 5

'Strange Fruit'
--Billie Holiday (1939)

Rebelling Against: Lynching!

Songwriter Abel Meeropol was a Bronx schoolteacher who wrote a poem in response to a gruesome photo from the Deep South. Invariably described as "chilling" – the "strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees" are the bodies of hanged black men – the song is often noted as a critical catalyst for the civil rights movement.
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gwen

I would vote for this as the most protest song in American history. Does it get any deeper than lynching? And it probably took a woman who knew the sting of real personal and social pain to carry it's message. It is an elegant elegy that pays homage to the victims, the singer, and the songwriter's compassion and soul. I think that bloggers should try to respect the message by just trying to get along.
PEACE!

May 25 2008 at 4:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
TC

This song was way before my time but I am trying to imagine the influence this song had. I am sure it was banned in many places. I am sure it painted the picture of how many blacks were treated at that time.

March 07 2008 at 8:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mychall

Lady Day will forever be remembered as a pioneer of American music. The drug use was a tragedy, her being a black woman was a struggle, but all of her tribulations were what molded that beautiful soul to come through her music and touch all of us left behind.

December 12 2007 at 6:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mac10cash

this is def. deep and deserving on here...

December 12 2007 at 6:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kelly

Wow, this song brought tears to my eyes. I have never heard such a ghostly, beautiful song. I really don't give a shit about drugs and whatever else, that doesn't mean her heart wasn't still in the right place. She was a great singer and person in her own right. OFF TOPIC- Gretchen Wilson sung one of her songs as a "hidden" track on her All Jacked-Up album, "Heartache" or something like that. She sings it VERY well, but Holiday still hits you in a way no other could.

December 12 2007 at 4:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Darryl

This is a reply to Maria-Danielle.
Billie Holiday was a known drug addict and it is a shame. Don't get mad at facts - get mad at the situation that caused the facts. By the way, regarding racism, we all know of the comments about New York and Jews by Jessie Jackson - the Rainbow Push founder - just so you might know, this song was written by a Jewish man.

December 12 2007 at 4:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cityscaep

in ref to billpatpensacola's comment about billie.notice how her character is the main issue in his comment, not the subject matter of the song. who gives a sh*t if she was a drug user black americans being hung from trees is still f'ed up, they were neighbors, family, friends and US soldiers returning from wwI and wwII. stop politicking by poopooing a point by talking about the person making it!

December 12 2007 at 3:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
email

Marion, Indiana is the ' Deep South ' ???

December 12 2007 at 3:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Windhorse

What happened to Country Joe and the Fish with One Two Three What Are We Fighting For? Now that was a protest song from the sixties.

December 12 2007 at 3:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Windhorse's comment
BlackSunshine

Is that the track covered by Passion Killers or the early side project of Chumbawamba?

June 27 2008 at 10:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
junoesque1

Just another horrible truth about our history... I only wish we could learn from the past but we are repeating the horrors currently and no doubt will continue to do so. I love this country, however, it is not without "sin". In loving this country I can say AMERICA is too good for this behavior.

December 12 2007 at 3:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply