Strange Fruit

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia, 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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

——Abel Meeropol

 

Billie Holiday's 1944 version of the song (mp3):
listen or downloadlisten or download

Wikipedia article about the song:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Fruit

The photograph below was cited by the songwriter as the inspiration for the song [Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, August 7, 1930]

Strange Fruit