Strange Fruit

You can also listen to the full hour-long episode on Billie Holiday here

For more information on the history and legacy of lynching

visit The National Memorial for Peace & Justice

Lyrics

Southern trees bear 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.
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.Here is 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.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *