Comments for "Billie Holiday's Race Protest - Strange Fruit" Video at VideoSift.com

By choggie

choggie (http://www.videosift.com/member/choggie) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:56:53 -0700

This clip was live TV...she is sooooooo ravaged by the Big H in this one.....too bad there's not more young and vibrant Holiday on film.....

By Quboid

Quboid (http://www.videosift.com/member/Quboid) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:34:00 -0700

Big H?

By siftbot

siftbot (http://www.videosift.com/member/siftbot) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:25:12 -0700

Tags for this video have been changed from 'racist, protest, song, lynch, hanging, classic, emotion' to 'racist, protest, song, lynch, hanging, classic, emotion, 30s' - edited by swampgirl

By swampgirl

swampgirl (http://swampgirl.videosift.com) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:32:07 -0700

big H is Heroin, Quboid. Unfortunately, Billie Holiday was an addict for years. It along with alcohol ruined her health and she died in her 40s I believe.

Now she looks older here maybe this was performed in the early 50s. Since we don't know the date of the broadcast, I added to your tags 30s for when the song was release. Hope that's ok

By specialk

specialk (http://www.videosift.com/member/specialk) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:11:52 -0700

Great sift - thanks!
I got curious and looked up the lyrics - vivid, powerful stuff:

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 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.

By James Roe

James Roe (http://jamesroe.videosift.com) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:39:38 -0700

http://www.videosift.com/video/Coal-Black-Context

another version. That thread got pretty heated.

By James Roe

James Roe (http://jamesroe.videosift.com) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:42:16 -0700

also nice comment from farhad here in the original posting of this.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Billie-Holiday-Strange-Fruit