Four Songs That Were Adapted From Poetry

Poetry and music have long been intertwined. Poets like Nikki Giovanni and Linton Kwesi Johnson have released several albums that put their poetry to melody, and the lyricism in songs by Hozier, Tupac, Olivia Dean, and many more artists highlight the creative masterpieces that come from blending poetry and music In the spirit of celebrating the arts in their myriad forms, here are four songs you may not have known were first adapted from poems.

‘Backlash Blues’

Originally a poem of the same title by Langston Hughes, Nina Simone and Hughes were good friends who both made monumental contributions to art and literature. Hughes would often send Simone books he thought she would enjoy, and when he passed away, Simone was crushed, stating, “He was a beautiful, a beautiful man, and he’s still with us, of course.” 

Hughes asked Simone in 1966 to set the poem to music, and the rest is history. It has since been described as one of the “five most important songs of her career” and a powerful demand for civil rights amid white supremacy. The poem ends on a hopeful note, one that Simone gleefully sings to those who oppose racial equality: “You’re the one who’ll have the blues/not me, just wait and see.”

“Strange Fruit”

The poem, originally titled “Bitter Fruit,” was written by Abel Meeropol. Also known by the pseudonym Lewis Allan, Meeropol was a teacher, son of Jewish immigrants from Russia, a member of the American Communist Party, and the adoptive father of the Rosenberg sons. In other words, Meeropol is intertwined in American history in more ways than one.

Meeropol wrote “Bitter Fruit” after seeing a photograph of the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. They were both 19 years old, and they were killed on Aug. 7, 1930, after being tortured, burned, and mutilated. Meeropol set the poem to music himself, but it grew in popularity after Billie Holiday sang it as “Strange Fruit” at New York City’s Café Society. While the opposition was fierce, “Strange Fruit” became one of Holiday’s most popular and best-selling records. Other artists who have covered “Strange Fruit” include Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Annie Lennox, and many more.

‘Oughta Be a Woman”

This is one of my top five favorite poems ever, and I highly recommend reading the poem by June Jordan first before listening to Sweet Honey in the Rock’s musical version. Just when I thought I could not love this poem more, I discovered its musical counterpart. Jordan was a prolific Jamaican American and queer poet, writer, and activist who wrote frequently about social injustice, civil rights, gender inequality, and more.  

Sweet Honey in the Rock is an a cappella group founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973. Reagon, who passed away in 2024, was a force to be reckoned with. She also co-founded the Freedom Singers and the Harambee Singers and dedicated her life to civil rights activism and social justice. With their musical rendition, Sweet Honey in the Rock breathes even more life into an already raw and evocative poem. While the group has set many of Jordan’s poems to song, “Oughta Be a Woman” remains a fan favorite. 

“I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)”

This song has been covered many times since its initial release, sung by Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Hoagy Carmichael, Carly Simon, Nina Simone, and many more artists. The initial writer is shrouded in mystery, though the song is said to have been written as a poem first titled “Except Sometimes” by a woman named Jane Brown Thompson. The poem was originally only signed “J.B.,” and Carmichael embarked on a relentless search to find out who exactly “J.B.” was. When Thompson was finally located, she passed away the night before the song was released.

Decades later, “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)” remains an iconic heart-shattering love song, with artists like Hozier even referencing it in their music. 

Music and poetry have long been considered alike, with Jean Paul Richter famously stating that “music is the poetry of the air.” Blending the two becomes natural, then, an eventual meeting with a beautiful result. Here’s to hoping that more contemporary artists will soon adapt poetry into music, too. 

• arts
• blues
• college
• entertainment
• jazz
• literature
• music
• poems
• poetry