"The House of the Rising Sun" is a traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans; many versions also urge a sibling to avoid the same fate. The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by the English rock group The Animals, was a number one hit.
Like many classic folk ballads, the authorship of "The House of the Rising Sun" is uncertain. Musicologists say that it is based on the tradition of broadside ballads such as The Unfortunate Rake of the 18th century, and that English emigrants took the song to America where it was adapted to its later New Orleans setting. But that's only a theory. " Unfortunate Rake" only bears a thematical resemblance to "House Of The Rising Sun".
The house the song refers to is in most cases unmistakeably a whorehouse, but the original house, the one all these Houses Of The Rising Sun where named after, could also have been a prison, as the ball & chain-verse at the end of most song versions implies.
There is also a mention of a house-like pub called the "Rising Sun" in the classic Black Beauty published in 1877, set in London, England, which may have influenced the title.
In February or March 1925 William S Burroughs send a song, he had learned from a "southerner", to Robert Winslow Gordon, who included it in a 1925 edition of his Adventure magazine column "Old Songs That Men Have Sung". The lyrics are almost identical to the lyrics of the 1964 Animals hit version. Except for the fact that in the course of time the "rounder" became a "rambler" and finally a "gambler".
The oldest known existing recording of the song is by Appalachian artists Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster and was made in 1933.
Ashley said he had learned it from his grandfather, Enoch Ashley.
(o) Ashley and Foster (1933) (as "Rising Sun Blues")
Gwen Foster, h/g; Thomas C. Ashley, g/v.
Recorded September 6, 1933 in New York
Matrix 13960-1
Released on Vocalion 02576
Lyrics:
There are a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
Where many poor boys to destruction has gone
And me, oh God, are one
Just fill a glass up to the brim
Let the drinks go merrily around
We'll drink to the life of a rounder, poor boy
Who goes from town to town
All in this world does a rambler want
Is a suitcase and a trunk
The only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk
Now boys don't believe what a young girl tells you
Let her eyes be blue or brown
Unless she's on some scaffold high
Sayin' "Boys, I can't come down"
I'm going there to New Orleans
For my race is almost run
To spend the rest of my wicked life
Beneath the rising sun
There are a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
Where many poor boys to destruction has gone
And me, oh God, are one
Just fill a glass up to the brim
Let the drinks go merrily around
We'll drink to the life of a rounder, poor boy
Who goes from town to town
All in this world does a rambler want
Is a suitcase and a trunk
The only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk
Now boys don't believe what a young girl tells you
Let her eyes be blue or brown
Unless she's on some scaffold high
Sayin' "Boys, I can't come down"
I'm going there to New Orleans
For my race is almost run
To spend the rest of my wicked life
Beneath the rising sun
Listen here:
In 1935 Homer Callahan (a member of the Callahan Brothers) recorded "Rounder's Luck" as a solo-effort.
Calling the song “Rounder's Luck” wasn't the Callahans' idea. Homer doesn't remember its original title; though he ended up calling it “House of the Rising Sun" himself, he's not sure if he picked that up after it became popular. As for “Rounder's Luck,” says Callahan, “I have no idea why. I didn't like that title too much. But they didn't ask me.” Callahan figures the longer title wouldn't do commercially. In that context, he says, house was a loaded term that implied the word whore preceded it. This was, remember, the year that Hollywood began enforcing the Hays Code, making movies far tamer than they had been. The two other known versions recorded commercially in the 1930s—by Ashley & Foster and Roy Acuff—reinforce this theory. They were called, respectively, “The Rising Sun Blues” and “Rising Sun” on their labels.
(c) Homer Callahan (1935) (as "Rounder's Luck")
Homer Callahan, v/y; acc. own g;
Recorded April 11, 1935 in New York
Matrix 17289-2
Released on Perfect 6-02-59 and Melotone 6-02-59
Lyrics:
The only thing that a rounder wants
Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's all night drunk
Fill up those glasses up to the brim
Let the drinks go merry round
We'll drink to the health of rounders, poor boy
Who hobos from town to town
My mother she's a seamstress
She cuts and sews on jeans
My daddy he's a gambling man
He gambles in New Orleans
Oh, mama, mama, how could you sew
And treat that rounder so cold?
Rather be that rounder boy with pride
Than wear your crown of gold
There's a place down in New Orleans
That's called "The Rising Sun"
Where many a poor boy to destruction has gone
And me, oh, Lord, for one
Oh, tell my youngest brother
Not to do the things I have done
And to shun that place down in New Orleans
That's called "The Rising Sun"
I'm going back to New Orleans
My race is almost run
Gonna spend the rest of my weeping days
Beneath that rising sun
Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's all night drunk
Fill up those glasses up to the brim
Let the drinks go merry round
We'll drink to the health of rounders, poor boy
Who hobos from town to town
My mother she's a seamstress
She cuts and sews on jeans
My daddy he's a gambling man
He gambles in New Orleans
Oh, mama, mama, how could you sew
And treat that rounder so cold?
Rather be that rounder boy with pride
Than wear your crown of gold
There's a place down in New Orleans
That's called "The Rising Sun"
Where many a poor boy to destruction has gone
And me, oh, Lord, for one
Oh, tell my youngest brother
Not to do the things I have done
And to shun that place down in New Orleans
That's called "The Rising Sun"
I'm going back to New Orleans
My race is almost run
Gonna spend the rest of my weeping days
Beneath that rising sun
Listen here:
The song might have been lost to obscurity had it not been collected by folklorist Alan Lomax, who, along with his father, was a curator of the Archive of American Folk Song for the Library of Congress. On an expedition with his wife to eastern Kentucky, Lomax set up his recording equipment in Middlesborough, Kentucky in the house of a singer and activist called Tilman Cadle.
On September 15, 1937 he recorded a performance by Georgia Turner, the 16 year-old daughter of a local miner. He called it "The Rising Sun Blues".
(c) Georgia Turner (1937) (as "The Rising Sun Blues")
Recorded September 15, 1937 in Middlesborough, Kentucky
AFS Number 1404A1
Or here:
Lomax later recorded a different version sung by Bert Martin and a third sung by Daw Henson, also from Kentucky.
(c) Bert Martin (October 1937) (as "The Rising Sun Blues")
Recorded October 9, 1937 in Horse Creek, Kentucky
AFS Number 1496B2
(c) Daw Henson (October 1937) (as "Rising Sun Blues")
Recorded October 9, 1937 in Billy's Branch, Kentucky
AFS Number 1508B2
In his 1941 songbook Our Singing Country, Lomax credits the lyrics to Turner, with reference to Martin's version. According to his later writing, the melody bears similarities to the traditional English ballad "Matty Groves.". To me that's also only a theory.
SEE MY BLOG: Joop's Musical Flowers: Matty Groves
A page from "Our Singing Country" (1941)
Roy Acuff, who recorded the song in 1938, may have learned the song from Clarence Ashley, with whom he once worked in his medicine shows.
(c) Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys (1938) (as "The Risng Sun")
Roy Acuff, v; Clell Summey, sg; Jess Easterday, g/sb; Red Jones, g/sb; Bob Wright, g.
Recorded November 3, 1938 in Columbia, SC.
Released on Vocalion/Okeh 04909
Listen here:
In 1941 the Almanac Singers was the first group to record a version with the more common title "House Of The Rising Sun".
(c) Almanac Singers (1941) (as "House of the Rising Sun")
Woody Guthrie, harmonica/leadvocal; Peter Hawes, guitar; Pete Seeger, banjo.
Recorded July 7, 1941 at Reeves Sound Studios, New York. Producer: Alan Lomax.
Released as record # 5020B on the General-label as a three 78 rpm record set titled "SOD-BUSTER BALLADS" (General Album G-21)
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Josh White (1944) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Recorded 1941/1942 in New York City
Released in 1944 as disc #2 (K 542-B) of the 3 part 78 RPM album "Strange Fruit" (Keynote album # K-125)
Or here:
Lonnie Donegan, who launched the British skiffle craze in the 1950s - which was the sound of the early Beatles, said in a 1999 interview with Jennifer Rodger of The Independent, "Josh White's "House of the Rising Sun" inspired me to go into music. This was the first American folk song I heard and the experience kicked off my career, started me singing American blues and folk. I believe Josh started the British rock scene."
Libby Holman, with guitar accompaniment by Josh White, also recorded a version with the familiar title "House Of The Rising Sun".
Libby and George recorded their version in New York on March 23, 1942.
It was released on the Decca-label (# 18306) and was part of the 3 part 78 RPM album "Blues Till Dawn"
(c) Libby Holman (1942) (as "House Of The Risin' Sun")
Listen here:
Leadbelly recorded two versions in 1944 as "In New Orleans" and in 1948 as "House Of The Rising Sun"
(c) Leadbelly (1944) (as "In New Orleans")
Recorded in New York City, February 17, 1944
Released in 1944 on Musicraft 312 on the B-side of "(Black Gal) Where Did You Sleep Last Night".
Re-released in 1954 on Allegro Elite 4027:
And also on Royale 18131:
The melody on this version is a little bit different from the common version.
Listen here:
(c) Leadbelly (1948) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Recorded in New York City, october 1948.
Released in 1953 on the Folkways album "The Last Sessions Vol 2" (Folkways FP 242)
Listen here:
In 1944 Woody Guthrie re-recorded "HOTRS" as a solo effort.
(c) Woody Guthrie (1944) (as "House of the Rising Sun")
Recorded April 25, 1944 in New York City for Moses Asch
Matrix MA96
Released in 1962 on the Folkways album "Woody Guthrie sings Folk Songs" (Folkways FA 2483), maybe as an answer to Bob Dylan's 1962 debut-album which contained "House of the Rising Sun".
Listen here:
(c) Hally Wood (1953) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Hally Wood got it from the Alan Lomax field recording by Georgia Turner.
Released in November 1953 on the album "O' Lovely Appearance of Death" (Elektra EKL-10)
Production: Jac Holzman and Kenneth S Goldstein.
10-inch LP. Credited to the Elektra-Stratford Record Corp.
Lawless lists this as being titled 'American Folksongs of Sadness and Melancholy', which is the title on the label but the subtitle on the sleeve.
Listen here:
(c) Pete Seeger (1958) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Released on the album "American Favorite Ballads Vol 2" (Folkways FA 2321)
Seeger probably was the first one to sing about a gambler instead of a rounder or rambler.
Listen here:
Or here:
As I said earlier in this post Lonnie Donegan was greatly influenced by Josh White, as you also can hear in his version of HOTRS.
(c) Lonnie Donegan (1959) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Listen here:
(c) Miriam Makeba (1960) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Listen here:
(c) Joan Baez (1960) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Joan Baez recorded the song on her debut album
Listen here:
(c) Bob Dylan (1962) (as "House Of The Risin' Sun")
In late 1961, Bob Dylan recorded the song for his eponymous debut album released in March 1962. There is no songwriting credit, but the liner notes indicate that Dylan learned his version of the song from Dave Van Ronk. Literally it says: "House of the Risin' Sun" is a traditional lament of a New Orleans woman driven into prostitution by poverty. Dylan learned the song from the singing of Dave Van Ronk: "I'd always known 'Risin' Sun' but never really knew I knew it until I heard Dave sing it."
Listen here:
In an interview on the documentary "No Direction Home", Van Ronk said that he was intending to record the song, and that Dylan copied his version. He recorded it soon thereafter on "Just Dave Van Ronk".
"I had learned it sometime in the 1950s, from a recording by Hally Wood, the Texas singer and collector, who had got it from an Alan Lomax field recording by a Kentucky woman named Georgia Turner. I put a different spin on it by altering the chords and using a bass line that descended in half steps—a common enough progression in jazz, but unusual among folksingers. By the early 1960s, the song had become one of my signature pieces, and I could hardly get off the stage without doing it".
(Dave Van Ronk)
Listen here:
An interview with Eric Burdon revealed that he first heard the song back in 1959 in a club in Newcastle, England, where it was sung by a Northumbrian folk singer called Johnny Handle .
Eric Burdon also said once that the Animals heard Josh White perform the song in Europe and decided to cover it.
The Animals were on tour with Chuck Berry and chose it because they wanted something distinctive to sing.
This interview denies assertions that the inspiration for their arrangement came from Bob Dylan. The band enjoyed a huge hit with the song, much to Dylan's chagrin when his version was referred to as a cover—the irony of which was not lost on Van Ronk, who went on record as saying that the whole issue was a "tempest in a teapot", and that Dylan stopped playing the song after The Animals' hit because fans accused Dylan of plagiarism. Dylan has said he first heard The Animals' version on his car radio and "jumped out of his car seat" because he liked it so much.
So in December of 1964 Dylan's producer, Tom Wilson, took an alternate take of Dylan's own original 1961 recording session of "Rising Sun" and overdubbed an electric studio band onto it,
later included on the Highway 61 Interactive CD-ROM (released in 1995).
Listen here:
So it's a bit unclear where The Animals inspiration came from.
3 possible sources are mentioned: Johnny Handle, Josh White and Bob Dylan.
But in my opinion a 4th source is possible too.
In April 1961 (so even before Dylan's version) Nina Simone recorded a live-version in New York at the Village Gate (the Animals had recorded 2 other songs that were recorded by Nina Simone before: "Don't let me be misunderstood" and "I put a spell on you").
(c) Nina Simone (1962) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Listen here:
And here's the version that made the song world famous in 1964:
The Animals hit the Top of the Charts in the UK and then the USA.
The arranging credit went only to Alan Price. According to Burdon, this was simply because there was insufficient room to name all five band members on the record label, and Alan Price's name was first alphabetically. However, this meant that only Price received songwriter's royalties for the hit, a fact that has caused bitterness ever since, especially with Hilton Valentine, who was responsible for the famous electric guitar A minor chord arpeggio, which starts "House of the Rising Sun".
(c) The Animals (1964) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Listen here:
(c) Johnny Hallyday (1964) ( as "Le Pénitencier")
Released in October in 1964 "Le Pénitencier" was a French #1 Hit
Listen here to Johnny:
Even the Beatles sang it at the Let It Be sessions on January 9, 1969.
(c) The Beatles (1969) (as "House Of The Rising Sun")
Listen here:
Wyclef Jean used the melody (especially the organ-part) of HOTRS in "Sang Fezi" (1997)
(c) Wyclef Jean (1997) (as "Sang Fezi")
Listen here:
Many many more versions of HOTRS are here:
Alger "Texas" Alexander's "The Risin' Sun" recorded in 1928, is sometimes mentioned as the first recording, but is a completely different song.
Listen here:
And in 1927 Iva Smith recorded "Rising Sun Blues", which is also a different song
Listen here:
Also different versions are
Darby and Tarlton's "Rising Sun Blues" (1930) (on the Columbia-label) and
King David's Jug Band's "Rising Sun Blues" (1930) (on the Okeh-label).
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