Review:

on 2011-07-15 CharlesMartel Said:

For a black woman to stand up in a club in America in the thirties and forties and sing this took some guts. Whats more, she took this song on a tour of the South. Whatever may be said, Holiday reached a peak with this song which was overtly political and anti-racist to an extent which had not really been heard before. In case you don't know, the strange fruit of the title is the corpse of the lynched black man.

The whole idea turned on its head, as far as white people were concerned, the concept that secular music was all supposed to be smiles and brightness, intended to make you feel happy and dance, rather than intended to make you think and reflect. The song was in fact written by a Jewish High School teacher, Abel Meeropol, who lived in the Bronx, and was horrified at the famous photograph of the lynchings of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, Indiana.

The issue of "Strange Fruit" not only had a lasting impact on music but also on Holiday's future career. From this point forward she began to branch out into a much more blues-oriented style, away from pure jazz, exploring much darker themes than she had done previously.
Rating: 8/10