Strange Fruit

Billie Holiday

R&B / SoulAdvanced for beginners5 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

CmDiagram coming soon

Ab7Diagram coming soon

FmDiagram coming soon

Dm7Diagram coming soon

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

 
              
verse 1 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Southern trees bear a strange fruit 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root 
Fm                           Dm7(5b)    G7(9b) 
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees 
 
verse 2 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Pastoral scene of the gallant south 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth 
Fm                           Dm7(5b)    G7(9b) 
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh 
 
verse 3 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck 
Fm                           Dm7(5b)    G7(9b) 
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop 
Cm                    Ab7     G7(9b) 
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Details

Rating

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Chord set

Cm · Ab7 · G7 · Fm · Dm7

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.