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 magnolia, 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
This song by Billie Holiday demonstrates a perspective of the American Dream by giving a glimpse of what was happening in the South during the 21st century. This song was released in 1939 and directly correlates with what was happening in the United States. The South during this time was extremely racially divided, there were senseless killings and acts of violence against black people. Billie compares black people to fruit dangling from trees, she begins the song by saying “Southern fruit bear a strange fruit”. Lynchings were at an extreme high during the making of this song. “Blood on the leaves and blood at the root…” Holiday is expressing there were so many lynchings happening that blood would be flowing down to the roots of the trees, ” Black Bodies swinging in the southern breeze, the bodies of Black Americans were on display throughout towns. This is important because those who were killed during this time were Black American people and according to the Declaration of Independence ” all men are created equal” and have the right to ” life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, however, the lives of black Americans were senselessly taken from them due to racist ideologies and beliefs about minority groups.
“The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth”, many African Americans were left configured and morphed after dying from hanging. The lives of Black Americans were always at the discretion of white Americans, depending on the situation an angry mob would either beat, tourted, and sometimes mutilate before lynching. Hangings became a public site, postcards were made from the events, now what about all of these things would prompt one to believe that the American dream is all-inclusive? The streets were often filled with “the sudden smell of burning flesh”, the bodies of African Americans were just disposed of and burned like trash. The American Dream has had its lasting effect on all Americans however what os the cost of the American dream amongst minorities?