MonsieurBaudelaire asked:
Rare Live Footage of one of the firtst
anti rascism songs ever.
Popularity: 28% [?]
Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Lynching was the law of the land, justice served. It wasn’t a crime against the negro. Jim Crow & segregation protected the negro from being completely wiped out.
i cant belive what south people did
Absolutely the best gift I’ve gotten this season. I’ve listened to Holiday sing this powerful song scores and scores of times, but never before have I seen her do it and it just took me to a whole new dimension. Thank you.
Her voice is her soul singing and crying.
One the best singers I ever heard.
Capture de moment.
Stop the time and only exist her voice in the
space.
To Recap:
Lady Day was a singer. She was black. She may or may not have had various drug and/or alcohol addictions, which are sort of irrelevant. She sang the song ‘Strange Fruit’ during a time when slavery had ended, but lynching was still a threat. Abel Meeropol, a Jewish Communist teacher, wrote the words. This is also irrelevant: both Holiday and Meeropol were important artists. Day put her life in danger by singing this controversial song during a time when racism was ubiquitous. Done.
What moves me is her solemn body language after she sang…
what?? she sings with such passion adn heartfelt conviction… I know you mean well dear! But the effect of your comment had the negative effect. Do you realize that what she sang SHE LIVED? Having to worry when meeting with family whether you would see them the next day….or had to hear they have been LYNCHED or shot dead, or so badly beaten up they die from their wounds.. Are you serious? WOW… I am lost for words here.. it shows the forgetfullnes of people and the insincerity of humanbeings
wow. People speak in blockbuster movie quotes nowadays? sad world. sad sad sad.
very sad song, but she had an amazing voice.
good vid.
x
Great video. Thanks, it brings tears to my eyes.
i love this song, for the words, and the music and the courage it took for Billie Holiday to write and sing it at such a time, and for the power of what she sang. bitterly beautiful… puts things in perspective for me
Meh, the songs not half bad. The video description is full of shit though.
In the words of the Joker, this track changed thins for ever. No one could sing it like Billie, touhg many have tried.
Thanks for sharing this video. Amazing.
This woman is amazing. She sings with such passion and heart felt conviction. You can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. Truly amazing.
this songs speaks to the reality of her time its so deep
well, I’m white, but okay.
One day, you will die…and many will rejoice.
there would come a time, he said, when a white person would be walking on a city street, and, out from a car or a building a black man armed with a knife would attack. The long history of white oppression would spill out and be visited on white people. And when that happens, he said, “I tell you in the name of Jesus Christ, do not run, do not retaliate, do not resist; I tell you, die!”–memory, William Stringfellow, General Seminary, NYC
I remember the end of the talk. we were restless by that time, convicted. Then, he concluded, because of our history, because of racism and the humiliation of Black Americans, there would come a time, he said, when Black rage would no longer wait for white redress;
NYVoice,
It’s too bad that our Nation hasn’t learned that we are all equal by now. This era was one that should never have happened.
Now, Gays/Lesbians/Bi/Trans are the ‘new 2nd class’ citizens to be abused, attacked, killed, hated and discriminated against. When will we learn from our own errors?
Life is short. We all bleed red. Love is so important and so often ignored.
BeStrong,SpeakTrue&SpreadPeace!!
I’ll tell ya, the title alone is oh so haunting. Words can be powerful, certainly never more so than when interpreted by a once in a lifetime artist like Billie. It was a thought provoking song about a shameful chapter in our nation’s history. And she sang it without any political leanings, just an artist’s rendering of something horrific.
NYVoice,
When she sang this song to the audience, you can hear that some didn’t know whether to clap or not. The lyrics being so profound and true made many cry in the group.
I didn’t know any live TV video of Lady Day existed! All comments aside fellas, this is pretty rare and unique footage-and before the civil rights era gained a full head of steam. Enjoy it for it’s historical perspective and lay off the indignant comments. Who do they serve?
HI i voted for mr. obama. if have listened to this song many times, as i have, i do not have a “slave mentality” -You have the problem and the mentality. that is unless you are referring to my comment, to someone a few days ago, then i am sorry-richard
ur truly revolting