Monday 21 March 2016

House of the Rising Sun by The Animals



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
My mother was a tailor
Sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans
Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk
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
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
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


According to 1001 songs, the House of the Rising Sun was recorded with just 2 takes over 15 minutes – amazing!

I've always loved this song – but only now have found out it was about a house of ill repute! If I thought about it at all I thought it was a saloon where people gambled. 

It is a traditional folk tune which The Animals turned into a major international hit.  It sounds so American to me but the Animals were a British group.  Don't you just love how clean cut they look on the cover – with ties and everything!

Click here for a YouTube clip of the song.

2 comments:

  1. I liked this group when they recorded that song and that song in particular; I have heard folk singers sing it too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have always been amused by the fact that you can sing the hymn 'The Lord's My Shepherd' to the tune!! [but never been able to persuade my clergyman husband that we should do it in church some Sunday]

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