Decoding: “Blood on the Leaves”

I choose to analyze a song called “Blood on the Leaves” by Kanye West. Upon first listening to this song I found myself shocked by the language used, and confused as to what the point of the song was. Because of this, I figured I should try to research “Blood on the Leaves” to see if my initial impressions were correct. Interestingly, I found that the song does in fact have meaning, and a point.

The song, “Blood on the Leaves” by Kanye West was released in 2014 as a part of his album Yeezus. The most notable sample in “Blood on the Leaves” is Nona Simone’s song “Strange Fruit.” “Strange Fruit” is a song, which protests American racism. It was originally a poem by Abel Meeropol, and was later recorded as a song in 1939. The song is specifically about the lynchings occurring in the south.

Kanye West’s song begins with someone singing the words “strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees,” which is a well-known line in the song “Strange Fruit.” Also the title of Kanye West’s song came from a line in the sample, which states “blood on the leaves and blood at the root.” However, the obvious connections between the two end there.

After a closer reading of Kanye West’s song, it appears to be about a failed relationship. The woman he is talking about throughout the song seems to be very corrupt and possibly addicted to drugs. She is overcome with the desire for fame and money, and wants to get pregnant so she can achieve just that. This results in conflicts between the two characters, which ultimately leads to the end of their relationship.

On the surface, there seems to be little relation. One is about the lynching of blacks in the south, and the other is about a failed relationship. Looking closer at the specific meanings, I found they are both about flaws in society, and general corruption. In “Strange Fruit,” innocent people were being killed because of their skin color, and in “Blood on the Leaves” he was being used for his fame.  In some ways, one could consider Kanye West’s song is an updated version of “Strange Fruit.” Years ago, people were obsessing over skin color, and now people are obsessed with money and fame. Another possibility is that Kanye wants to remind his audience that racial discrimination is still a problem, in addition to the increasing greediness in society.

Although I found there to be meaning in both songs, I unfortunately cannot say that my opinion of the song changed at all. I also struggled to see any major connections between the two songs, which lead me to wonder why the sample was even used. I do not believe the sample really changed the meaning; in fact they seemed to carry more meaning as two separate songs.