Composed by Abel Meeropol (aka: Lewis Allan), a
Bronx school teacher, writer, and political
radical. He would later
adopt the children of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg after their
execution in the 1950's for alleged
spy activities for the Russians.
The eerie melody and graphic lyrics about the horribly common practice of lynching Blacks in the South, served a a wakeup call for the rest of the nation. It also marked the first time that Holiday used her music and appeal to take a stand for Civil Rights.
It was first performed in 1939 at The Cafe Society, a trendy and upscale jazz club. Holiday would typically perform the song at the end of her set and in short time it became her signature piece--so much so that many people believe that she penned it (a claim she never refuted, believing the song belonged to her on a spiritual level.)