“The House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song with no known songwriter, tracing its roots to 18th-century English broadside ballads like The Unfortunate Rake before evolving in Appalachia and the American South. The narrative, set in New Orleans, warns against a life of vice, with the “House” variously interpreted as a brothel (possibly named after madam Marianne LeSoleil Levant) or a women’s prison.
The song reached its peak popularity through The Animals’ 1964 recording, widely considered the first folk-rock hit. This version transformed the original female narrator’s story of prostitution into a male perspective on gambling and alcoholism ruin, backed by a haunting organ-driven arrangement that became iconic.
Key milestones in the song’s history include:
- Earliest Recordings: The oldest known version is by Clarence “Tom” Ashley and Gwen Foster (1933), with folklorist Alan Lomax recording Georgia Turner in 1937, which influenced later artists.
- Pre-Animals Covers: Notable predecessors include Bob Dylan (1962) and Josh White (1947), who adapted the lyrics and melody for folk audiences.
- Cultural Impact: The Animals’ version topped charts in the US, UK, Canada, and Sweden in 1964, bridging the gap between traditional folk and the emerging British Invasion rock sound.
[Chorus]
There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And, God, I know I’m one
[Verse 1]
My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gamblin’ man
Down in New Orleans
[Verse 2]
Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he’s satisfied
Is when he’s all drunk
[Instrumental Break]
[Organ Solo]
[Verse 3]
Oh, mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun
[Verse 4]
Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I’m goin’ back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain
[Chorus]
Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And, God, I know I’m one
