Southern trees bear 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.

     The song is discussing the race terrorism and lynching in the South. The strange fruit represents black bodies that have been hung. Identification with Race is a present H.R. them because of the line: "Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze." Also Anger at Racism is a present theme because of the grizzly way that Holiday describes the lynching taking place. Because she describes it in this fashion it indicates that Holiday is implying the extreme injustice behind the lynching, which implies that Holiday is angered at these atrocities. 

     I chose this song because of the vivid and gruesome image that the song conjures up for the listener. This song is not pleasant or what most would consider appealing so I admire the boldness that it must have took for Holiday to write and publicize the song. 

     Also Holiday contrasts the ways in which the South is glorified: "Pastoral scene of the gallant south" with gruesome descriptions of horrible deeds committed by Southerners. So in this sense Holiday is criticizing the South and proclaiming that although the, "Scent of magnolias" may be, "sweet and fresh" in the South (so to speak) it doesn't make up for the horrible racism that existed there.