Her family encouraged her to sing in the house, in a church choir and at school. At Waterford Regional Technical College she studied piano then took music at University College Dublin in 1987. Having learned to copy Ella Fitzgerald's scat singing, she performed in a Dublin bistro several nights per week while still a student. At the Royal Irish Academy of Music she studied classical music and sang in a jazz band, then a folk-ballad band, then another jazz band. She also fell under the influence of Dublin folk singer Frank Harte. During this time she also formed her own band, called Dorothy.
In 1993 Karan moved to New York City. There she studied jazz at Long Island University. When she encountered Irish traditional music sessions in New York she started singing Irish traditional music again. During this time she mostly sang in bars and locals. For most of 1994 she sang with a group called Atlantic Bridge. At the end of the year she joined Seamus Egan and others in Solas. She sang five songs on their first album in 1996. In the same year she sang in Tramps club in Manhattan, accompanied only by a percussionist. They mixed jazz and folk. In 1997 she recorded a solo album, Songlines, inspired by the novel of the same name by Bruce Chatwin. It was produced by Seamus Egan and included several members of Solas. There were a few traditional songs and some contemporary folk songs.
In 2000 Karan collaborated with several other singers on "Seal Maiden - A Celtic Musical". It was a musical version of the film "The Secret of Roan Inish", designed for children. It concerns the mythical creature called the selkie - a seal-woman. Since then Karan has recorded three further solo albums released in 2001, 2003 and 2005. In a salute to her Celtic roots, several tracks were recorded in her native Irish tongue. She also features on the DVD "Solas Live".
Her 2005 album Chasing the Sun includes a number of songs Casey wrote herself. Her records are released by Shanachie Records in the United States and Vertical Records in Europe.
Karan is now living in County Cork, and is married to Niall Vallely, a composer and player of traditional Irish music.
Solo albums
* Songlines (1997)
* Seal Maiden (2000)
* The Winds Begin To Sing (2001)
* Distant Shore (2003)
* Chasing The Sun (2005)
Recordings with Solas
* Solas (1996)
* Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers (1997)
* The Words That Remain (1998)
* Reunion: A Decade of Solas (2006, CD and DVD)
As session musician
* Dancing at Lughnasa (film) (1998)
* Waking Ned Devine (film) (1999)
* "Celtic Solstice" by Paul Winter
Strange Fruit
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant south
Them big bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the winds to suck
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
The lyrics to Karan Casey's song Strange Fruit describe the horrific reality of lynching that took place in the Southern United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Southern trees bearing strange fruit represents the lynching of black people that took place in the South and the fruit is a metaphor for the bodies of those who were murdered. The phrase "blood on the leaves and blood at the root" suggests that the bloodshed from these lynchings had seeped into every part of Southern society. "Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze" is a graphic depiction of the hangings that took place in public.
The second verse of the song paints a vivid picture of the setting in which these lynchings took place. The pastoral scene of the gallant south refers to the romanticized image of the South, with its magnolias and lush landscapes. However, this idyllic setting is shattered by the horrific act of lynching. The big bulging eyes and twisted mouth describe the look of the black people who were hanged, and the sudden smell of burning flesh captures the torture that they endured. The final stanza is a chilling reminder of the sheer inhumanity of these acts. The fruit that is left to rot and drop is a reminder that the people who were lynched were treated as less than human.
Line by Line Meaning
Southern trees bearing strange fruit
The trees in the Southern region bear fruit that is unknown and unusual
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
The leaves and roots of these trees are stained with blood, indicating violence and death in the area
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
The bodies of Black individuals are seen hanging and swinging from these trees, a reminder of the violence and racism that exists in the South
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
The 'strange fruit' referred to in the previous lines are actually Black bodies hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The peaceful, rural setting of the Southern region is deceiving due to the violence and racism that exists
Them big bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
The description of the Black bodies hints at the brutal and violent manner in which they were killed
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
The sweet fragrance of magnolias filling the air contrasts sharply with the brutality and horror of the situation
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
The juxtaposition of the sweet scent with the smell of burning flesh highlights the intense violence and cruelty of the situation
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck
The reference to fruit being left for the birds implies a sense of abandonment of the Black bodies and lack of humanity
For the rain to gather, for the winds to suck
The natural elements are portrayed as instruments of destruction and contributors to this brutal scene
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop
The imagery suggests that the sun is powerless to bring light to this situation and the trees are ultimately contaminated by the blood and violence
Here is a strange and bitter crop
The song concludes with a reference to the Black bodies as a 'strange and bitter crop,' highlighting the disgust and horror of this system of racism and violence
Contributed by Ian H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.