This February, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” will premiere on Hulu, detailing the legacy of the era-defining jazz vocalist as she spearheads the early years of the civil rights movement while facing intimidation from the Federal Department of Narcotics. Billie Holiday proved that even one of the world’s softest voices could deliver a fierce and emotional performance while possessing the immense courage to provide brutal commentary on the truths of racism and violence that were taking place across the country.
Holiday’s most memorable track, “Strange Fruit,” was one of the earliest anthems of the civil rights era, retelling the gruesome details of a lynching in the American South. The song started out as a poem written by Jewish school teacher and songwriter Abel Meeropol, who saw a photograph in 1936 of the lynching of two African American teenagers. This harrowing scene prompted him to write a poem that exuded the same haunting sentiment, but only Billie Holiday’s voice and performance skills truly brought the words to life in a song
that changed the way singers and songwriters used their talents to impress serious truths on their listeners and motivate their audiences to pursue social justice. In three short verses, Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” rocked the nation, spurring controversy as well as deep reflection in the United States.
“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”
The revolutionary singer launches into the grave scene from the very first line, never sugarcoating the violent and cruel reality that African Americans face as racism thrives throughout the country, especially in the south. By noting that there is “blood at the root,” Holiday emphasizes that the foundations of this country are rooted in the same violence and oppression that is being seen in the present day. This is an allusion to the enslavement of black people that was widespread and largely undisputed in the early days of the United States. Through this song, she reminds the audience that although African Americans are now free, they are not equal and they are not safe from hatred.
“Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh”
The strong and vivid juxtaposition of phrases in this verse make it especially impactful and deeply uncomfortable. The “pastoral scene of the gallant south” and the mention of magnolia flowers (which represents purity and nobility and is the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana) create visions of paradise and a romanticized Southern fantasy that exudes peace and tranquility. The sinister underbelly of this seemingly ideal place includes the “bulging eyes and the twisted mouth” of black people who have been lynched because of their skin color.
“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
Here is a strange and bitter crop”
The meaning behind the first line of this final verse could be taken quite literally to suggest that scavenging crows, often symbolic of death, eat away at the bodies left to rot in the trees. It could also be an allusion to the Jim Crow laws that were established following the abolition of slavery to continue the systemic oppression of and control over African Americans.
Despite death threats and external pressure from record labels and producers, Holiday had the courage to confront these societal horrors and perform this emotionally charged song in 1939. The legendary jazz singer played an integral role in fueling the civil rights movement and laying the foundation for future artists to speak out on civic issues and use their creativity to educate and unite the masses.
As someone who was played Jazz music in the past we were told about the genre’s roots in Black culture as an expression of hardships, but we never really dove into the historical context. It takes a lot of courage to risk your career in a field that barely accepts you in order to speak out on racism. It makes sense that Jazz musicians were an integral part of the civil rights movement because Jazz started as expression against oppression. It is ironic to me that Kanye West to such a dark and important song and sampled it into a song about doing drugs and partying.
It is really interesting to observe how Jazz music is so often a way to express unpopular views and rebel against the party controlling the narrative. During the reign of the Third Reich Jazz music was banned from German radio because many of the original creators of Jazz traced back African roots and, additionally, many Jazz players were Jewish. This being said, I think Jazz music is an extremely unique and fascinating genre of music not only for its structure and sound but also for its history as a weapon against oppression and tyranny.