Strange Fruit

Before beginning this semester, I had a brief understanding of the song Strange Fruit. This was due to Kanye West's sampling of Strange Fruit's chorus made famous by Billie Holiday on his recent song, Blood on the Leaves (West used Nina Simone's rendition). Even though West's cryptic Blood on the Leaves can be interpreted different ways, some underlying themes are race relations and recognition of the anti-lynching movement. Many may disagree with West's sampling of Strange Fruit for his own gain as the song is sacred to many, especially those who had past relatives involved in the civil rights movement. I can understand how some may find his sampling disrespectful, but I also think he is paying appropriate homage to a strong and necessary social movement—the 1940s anti-lynching protest. When Billie Holiday performed this eerie song, it drew attention from all over the country. If I can listen to Strange Fruit and have chills run up my spine, I can only imagine how listeners felt who were dealing with personal friends and family being lynched at the time. As covers of Strange Fruit continue to be made and as samples perdure, like that on Blood on the Leaves, the lyrics and haunting aura of Strange Fruit will live on to teach a history lesson that a textbook never could.