Holiday’s Artistic Beliefs and Concerns, showcased through the Ability of Songs to Convey Truth
Billie Holiday’s songs are unbelievably powerful, and her compelling, emotional delivery makes their messages inescapable. While most of her songs focus on the heartbreak of troubled romantic relationships, several powerful songs also deal with social issues of the time.
In particular, Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit” emotionally describes the aftermath of lynchings which were still happening in the South, and even in some places in the North. The song powerfully juxtaposes serene nature images with snapshots of brutality and ugliness. Without even mentioning the word “lynching” by name, the song is able to effectively convey the horror of this practice, and does so in a way which moved and continues to move audiences worldwide. With its simple poetry, structure, and melody, the song is able to trigger a powerful response in the listener, and deliver a strong condemnation of lynchings more forcefully than simple text, narratives, or photos.
In particular, Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit” emotionally describes the aftermath of lynchings which were still happening in the South, and even in some places in the North. The song powerfully juxtaposes serene nature images with snapshots of brutality and ugliness. Without even mentioning the word “lynching” by name, the song is able to effectively convey the horror of this practice, and does so in a way which moved and continues to move audiences worldwide. With its simple poetry, structure, and melody, the song is able to trigger a powerful response in the listener, and deliver a strong condemnation of lynchings more forcefully than simple text, narratives, or photos.
Another one of Holiday’s songs, “Gloomy Sunday,” is filled with sadness and despair. Originally written by a Hungarian composer to describe the horrors of war, the song was also powerful when the lyrics were changed to address the heartbreak of someone mourning a loved one’s death. The BBC banned Billie Holiday’s version of the song from being played on the radio, on the theory that it would harm morale during wartime. Many anecdotes exist which suggest the people have committed suicide while listening to the song. Thus this song also provides a striking example of the emotional power of songs to convey meanings and truth.
Theme #1 - The Destructive Power of Addiction
An undeniable theme running throughout much of Billie Holiday’s life and work is the destructive power of addiction. Abused at an early age, Billie Holiday’s chances to live a balanced and healthy life were slim to begin with. While Holiday seemed to have a strong and loving relationship with her mother, the benefits of this bond could not completely appease the poverty and sexual abuse which characterized Holiday’s childhood years, and which set the stage for her later life.
AS HOLIDAY MATURED AS AN ARTIST, HER SELF-DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES GAINED STRENGTH AS WELL. HOLIDAY INCREASINGLY TURNED TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL TO DEAL WITH THE PRESSURES OF HER LIFE AND CAREER. EVEN THOUGH SHE SEEMED TO HAVE A STRONG SPIRIT AND SENSE OF SELF, HOLIDAY ALSO HAD A TENDENCY TOWARD ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS. THE EMOTIONAL VOLATILITY OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDED THE HEARTBREAKING SUBJECT MATTER FOR MANY OF BILLIE HOLIDAY’S SONGS, AND SINGING THESE SONGS MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE WAYS SHE COPED WITH THE PAIN OF SUCH RELATIONSHIPS. YET CONTINUING TO ENTER ONE ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP AFTER ANOTHER CAN ALSO BE SEEN AS A FORM OF ADDICTION, WHICH IN HOLIDAY’S CASE MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEARLY AS DESTRUCTIVE AS HER SUBSTANCE ABUSE. DESPITE HER ENORMOUS TALENT AND THE SUCCESS SHE ATTAINED IN HER LIFETIME, HOLIDAY WAS FINALLY OVERCOME BY HER ADDICTIONS. HER ADDICTIONS ERODED HER HEALTH, AND ULTIMATELY CAUSED HER UNTIMELY DEATH.
AS HOLIDAY MATURED AS AN ARTIST, HER SELF-DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES GAINED STRENGTH AS WELL. HOLIDAY INCREASINGLY TURNED TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL TO DEAL WITH THE PRESSURES OF HER LIFE AND CAREER. EVEN THOUGH SHE SEEMED TO HAVE A STRONG SPIRIT AND SENSE OF SELF, HOLIDAY ALSO HAD A TENDENCY TOWARD ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS. THE EMOTIONAL VOLATILITY OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDED THE HEARTBREAKING SUBJECT MATTER FOR MANY OF BILLIE HOLIDAY’S SONGS, AND SINGING THESE SONGS MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE WAYS SHE COPED WITH THE PAIN OF SUCH RELATIONSHIPS. YET CONTINUING TO ENTER ONE ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP AFTER ANOTHER CAN ALSO BE SEEN AS A FORM OF ADDICTION, WHICH IN HOLIDAY’S CASE MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEARLY AS DESTRUCTIVE AS HER SUBSTANCE ABUSE. DESPITE HER ENORMOUS TALENT AND THE SUCCESS SHE ATTAINED IN HER LIFETIME, HOLIDAY WAS FINALLY OVERCOME BY HER ADDICTIONS. HER ADDICTIONS ERODED HER HEALTH, AND ULTIMATELY CAUSED HER UNTIMELY DEATH.
It is important to note, however, that not all believed she was a victim of the addition. Many of those most close to her hold a firm belief that she lived life the way she wished to do so, and that due to her feisty personality and ambitions she chose a life of addition rather than fell victim to it.
Theme #2: Debilitating Prejudice
As both a woman and African-American in a period in time that was paralyzed by preconception and intolerance, Billie Holiday undoubtedly felt the wrath of blatant racism and indisputable misogyny throughout her life. As previously mentioned, racism, as a theme, climaxed in Holiday’s singing of “Strange Fruit”, which detailed the horrors of lynching. And yet, it is critical to realize that discrimination was present in far more aspects of her life than her songs alone. While on tour, for example, Holiday was forced to use separate lodging designated for people of color, which featured no luxuries and even little to no necessities, such as outhouses. When dining in restaurants, special accommodations had to be made: Holiday and her colored band were to eat in a ‘colored only’ section in the back. Even when performing with a band of all-white musicians, she was asked to use a separate elevator in their hotel, presumably as not to disturb the other guests. And yet, this was only half of Billie Holiday’s immanent condition. As a woman living in a patriarchy, Holiday was subjected to abuse and sexism from an early age that would last throughout her lifetime. In particular, not only was she raped at just 11 years old, she was then exploited in her early teens as she was forced to work in a brothel to pay rent. Even as a singer, the sexist culture of the era expected things of Holiday that — by modern standards — are both cruel and disturbing. One such example is the expectation that female singers were to collect their tips only through an intimate part of their anatomy — something Billie Holiday refused to do, but was met with controversy for choosing to do so.
Theme #3: The Media’s Ability to Silence
A successful year in Billie Holiday’s life was almost entirely dependent on the way she was portrayed in the news: if it was favorable, more people would know of her, and therefore be more inclined to buy a particular sample of her music. For this reason, the fact that the media so often cast Holiday in a drugged and drunken light meant the media was able to affect the singer’s lifestyle. Because of this highly-publicized relationship with drugs, she was never invited to perform on much mainstream television, such as the Ed Sullivan show which had featured many of her contemporaries, and was also an informal prerequisite for sponsors.
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