Strange Fruit
First release by Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra (May 1939)
- Written by
- Lewis Allan
- Language
- English
- ISWC
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T-070.137.962-5 ASCAP, ISWC, JASRAC
- Comments
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Originally published under the writer's real name, Abel Meeropol, as the poem "Bitter Fruit" in the January, 1937 issue of "The New York Teacher", a publication of the New York Federation of Teachers.
In the poem, Meeropol expressed his horror at lynchings, inspired by Lawrence Beitler's photograph of the 1930 lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, Indiana.
Meeropol set it to music and performed it with his wife and the singer Laura Duncan as a protest song at New York venues, including Madison Square Garden. - Published by
-
MARKS EDWARD B MUSIC CORP
GEMA
MUSIC SALES CORP ASCAP
- Licensing
-
Request a synchronization license
This composition was licensed with the help of SecondHandSongs on August 16, 2021 for a indie short film on compassion and prejudice. A sync license was granted for 1 year festival use in worldwide.
This composition was licensed with the help of SecondHandSongs on December 5, 2023 for a monologue stage production. A grand performance license was granted for 3 shows use in Fayetteville, NC.