Subject: DTStudy: Strange Fruit
From:
bill kennedy
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 02:02 PM
This is an edited DTStudy thread, and all messages posted here are subject to editing and deletion.
This thread is intended to serve as a forum for corrections and annotations for the Digital Tradition song named in the title of this thread.
A lengthy and interesting article on Abel Meeropol appears in the Spring 2002 issue of American Music, University of Illinois. In addition to the biographical information, the many other songs and theatrical pieces he contributed to, is a good ddiscussion of his most famous song, 'Strange Fruit, and also, 'The House I live In' for which Earl Robinson wrote the music. A DT Study is more than warranted, I believe, given the previous threads that can be linked here, (I still don't know how, though, so Joe or someone can please blue clicky them and erase this paranthetical aside! Please?) and the fact that the DT STILL credits Billy Holiday, when she had nothing to do with the writing of the song. Way back in 1945, when Meerapol wrote a letter of protest about his authorship to PM magazine, an editor's note states: "Miss Holiday informs us that it was the interpretation (i.e. not the composition) of 'Strange Fruit's music that she worked on with Sonny White." In addition there is Barney Josephson's statement, the owner of Cafe Society whre Billie Holiday was appearing, stating: "On or about Feb. 10, 1939, Lewis Allen came to me with the manuscript of a song entitled 'Strange Frut' as possible material for presentatino at the Cafe. This was an original manuscript bearing his name as author of the words and composer of the music. He demonstrated the song for Billie Holiday in my presence and it was quite obvious that this was the first time she had ever seen or heard the song. 'Strange Fruit' was very much different from the usual songs she had been doing, and she seemed puzzled and reluctant to do it. Her claim to having had a share in the writing the music with Sonny White is completely false." Other info in the article discusses the songs relation to an earlier song collected in 'Negro Songs of Protest' entitled 'Sistern an' Brethren' that describes a lynching and may have in part inspired Meerapol's creation. Let's begin with the lyrics and CORRECT attribution:
Strange Fruit
by Lewis Allan (Abel Meerapol)
Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black body 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 magnolia sweet and fresh,
And the sudden smell of burning flesh!
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for a tree to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.
links to previous threads should include the Guardian article copied by Joe Offer, a BS: Best Version of Strange Fruit, and others.
For the sake of comparison, below are the lyrics as included in the Digital Tradition. Note the explanatory note at the bottom from Dick Greenhaus.
-Joe Offer-
STRANGE FRUIT
(Billie Holiday and Lewis Allen)
Southern trees bear a 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.
Oh----- Oh:-----
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
And the sudden smell of burning flesh.
Here is a 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
Oh, ----- here is a strange and bitter --- crop.
Oh, --- here is a strange and bitter crop.
Note: I've seen the attribution to Ms. Holiday alone, to Mr. Allen
alone and to both together. RG
@blues @political @death
filename[ STRANFRT
SW
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sj
