Strange Fruit

By Gabrielle Rodrigue

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Year: 5/1/1939
Label: Commodore Records
Genre: Jazz

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

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 a 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

 

Billie Holiday is not mentioned in A Lesson Before Dying, but she would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. It is easy to imagine Jefferson hearing Holiday’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

The lyrics of "Strange Fruit" were written by Abel Meeropol as a poem in reaction to lynching in the United States. They dramatize a southern scene when lynching was at its height, when Black people were treated as non-citizens unprotected by the law. On the surface, the song's lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an ever-changing role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as the policing of Black bodies during times of slavery continued as a form of lethal violence after Reconstruction. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the extrajudicial execution of individuals—that is, an execution without an arrest or a trial. Protest against lynching grew stronger in the twentieth century, especially from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the number of cases went down. As lynching became less common, however, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill Black people. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have implications for capital punishment today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Grant conveys Jefferson's account of what happened the day Brother, Bear, and Mr. Gropé died. As his defense attorney argued, "Jefferson was innocent of all charges except being at the wrong place at the wrong time" (7). Everyone who knows Jefferson takes that as fact; his community understands legal lynching. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, but rather how Jefferson sees himself. In the process of defending Jefferson, his attorney dehumanizes him as much as lynching dehumanized victims of mob violence. "Would you call this—this—this a man?" his attorney asked during closing remarks. "No, not I" (7). Although Jefferson got a trial, unlike victims of lynching, the opening chapter makes clear how an inadequate defense, an all-white jury, and a biased judge led to the inevitable outcome: "Death by electrocution" (9). The olfactory image Holiday sings in the second verse resonates with Jefferson's sentence. The scent of burning flesh figures as a tangible reminder that, although administered by the state, Jefferson's execution has much in common with a lynching.

By Gabrielle Rodrigue

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Year: 5/1/1939
Label: Commodore Records
Genre: Jazz

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

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 a 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

 

Billie Holiday is not mentioned in A Lesson Before Dying, but she would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. It is easy to imagine Jefferson hearing Holiday’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

The lyrics of "Strange Fruit" were written by Abel Meeropol as a poem in reaction to lynching in the United States. They dramatize a southern scene when lynching was at its height, when Black people were treated as non-citizens unprotected by the law. On the surface, the song's lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an ever-changing role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as the policing of Black bodies during times of slavery continued as a form of lethal violence after Reconstruction. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the extrajudicial execution of individuals—that is, an execution without an arrest or a trial. Protest against lynching grew stronger in the twentieth century, especially from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the number of cases went down. As lynching became less common, however, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill Black people. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have implications for capital punishment today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Grant conveys Jefferson's account of what happened the day Brother, Bear, and Mr. Gropé died. As his defense attorney argued, "Jefferson was innocent of all charges except being at the wrong place at the wrong time" (7). Everyone who knows Jefferson takes that as fact; his community understands legal lynching. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, but rather how Jefferson sees himself. In the process of defending Jefferson, his attorney dehumanizes him as much as lynching dehumanized victims of mob violence.

By Gabrielle Rodrigue

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Year: 5/1/1939
Label: Commodore Records
Genre: Jazz

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

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 a 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

 

Billie Holiday is not mentioned in A Lesson Before Dying, but she would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. It is easy to imagine Jefferson hearing Holiday’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

The lyrics of "Strange Fruit" were written by Abel Meeropol as a poem in reaction to lynching in the United States. The lyrics tell of a time when lynching was at its height, when Black people were treated as non-citizens unprotected by the law. On the surface, the song's lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. The unrest with lynching began to grow especially within the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and lynching began to become more scarce; however, from this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

Strange Fruit (1939) is a song written originally as a poem by Abel Meeropol in reaction to lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. The unrest with lynching began to grow especially within the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and lynching began to become more scarce; however, from this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

Strange Fruit (1939) is a song written originally as a poem by Abel Meeropol in reaction to lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. The unrest with lynching began to grow especially within the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and lynching began to become more scarce; however, from this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

Strange Fruit (1939) is a song written originally as a poem by Abel Meeropol in reaction to lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. As time passed, and the unrest with lynching began to grow, the nature of lynching began to change. From this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

Strange Fruit (1939) is a song written originally as a poem by Abel Meeropol in reaction to lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. As time passed, and the unrest with lynching began to grow, the nature of lynching began to change. From this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

Strange Fruit (1939) is a song written originally as a poem by Abel Meeropol in reaction to lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. As time passed, and the unrest with lynching began to grow, the nature of lynching began to change. From this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 

Strange Fruit (1939) is a song written originally as a poem by Abel Meeropol in reaction to lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during times of slavery, did not end there. Traditionally, lynching is defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. As time passed, and the unrest with lynching began to grow, the nature of lynching began to change. From this, legal lynching was born. Legal lynching is a form of lynching which employs the systemically racist justice system of the Jim Crow era to legally kill black people especially black men. This was a commonplace practice and continues to have connections to today. 

Jefferson’s execution could be considered a legal lynching as it happens through the justice system. In chapter one, Gaines’ third person narrator shows us that Jefferson did not kill Mr. Gropé. The primary concern of the novel is not whether Jefferson committed murder, rather everyone seems to know that he’s innocent. Jefferson’s community understands legal lynching. They know they can’t change the verdict, but they can change the way Jefferson sees himself.

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
Release Date: 5/1/1939
Genre: Jazz
Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan
Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 
Strange Fruit (1939) is a song about the dark history of lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during the times of slavery, did not end there. Lynching can be defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system. Well, 
 

Title: Strange Fruit
Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 
Strange Fruit (1939) is a song about the dark history of lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during the times of slavery, did not end there. Lynching can be defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system.
 

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 
Strange Fruit (1939) is a song about the dark history of lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during the times of slavery, did not end there. Lynching can be defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system.
 

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 
Strange Fruit (1939) is a song about the dark history of lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during the times of slavery, did not end there. Lynching can be defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system.
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

Billie Holiday is an artist who is not explicitly mentioned in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, but she most certainly would have been playing on Jefferson’s radio in 1948. Perhaps, Jefferson heard Billie’s beautiful voice singing about the strange crop in the southern trees. 
Strange Fruit (1939) is a song about the dark history of lynching in the United States. Billie sings of a time when lynching was at its height, and black bodies were treated as disposable objects. On the surface, Strange Fruit’s lynching narrative seems a little too far in the past to be of significance to the story of Jefferson. Lynching, however, has had an everchanging role in the history of America, particularly the American South. What started as an informal policing of black bodies by the majority white population during the times of slavery, did not end there. Lynching can be defined as the public execution of individuals which is not regulated through the judicial system.
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strang Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 5/1/1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol, Lewis Allan

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

INSERT FULL BLURB HERE
 

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Verse 3]
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 tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records 

 

Song Title: Strange Fruit

Artist: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra

Release Date: 1939

Genre: Jazz

Song Writers: Abel Meeropol

Publisher: Commodore Records