45 of 1001 Songs: Billie Holiday's God Bless the Child

 Billie Holiday has a lot of songs in the 1001 list, and I'm not complaining. If there was one musician I could listen to all the time it would be Billie Holiday. God Bless the Child sounds like a familiar song, but I couldn't place if I had ever heard it. I do know that the song has a lot of truth in the lyrics.

The song references what seems to be a disagreement between parents and a child, and referring to the history behind the song this seems very well what it was about. Not only does this give the song a story but emotion. There is also the classic array of instrumentals that I still haven't heard anything like before. It's light and powerful. It reminds me a lot of Billie Holiday's voicing. There is also a dark backdrop that keeps the song moving.

31 of 1001 Songs: Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit

So far there has been no song as impacting on the list, and probably won't be, as Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit. It's got to be the darkest yet as well with the imagery created throughout. Holiday though uses her vocals to bring the tone of the song to life, and get the listener's attention. The whole arrangement shows why it is a song that has stood the test of time.

History: The song is said to be inspired by a photo of lynchings and a poem that contains very similar words to the song. Holiday though would have a tough time getting this song to the audience because of the subject matter, especially with it still be 1939, and a country still bending to racism. She performed the song for the audiences she could though, and even with the fear of how it would be perceived in the South the song would get to listeners. It's still a popular song today even with Time listing it as song of the century.