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By the time the ’60s rolled around, the folk legend Dave Van Ronk included an intense take on “House of the Rising Sun” as a steady part of his live repertoire. His young acolyte Bob Dylan largely mimicked Van Ronk’s arrangement of the song and included it on his debut album. Across the pond at around the same time, Burdon apparently heard the song from a local folk singer in England. Burdon brought it into the Animals, who electrified the song for their 1964 self-titled debut album. Hilton Valentine played the stoic arpeggiated guitar part that foundations the song, while Alan Price tore into the organ solo as if trying to free every tortured soul trapped in this sinister place.
Nathan Salsburg: A Kentucky Folklorist Turns To His Own Story
He advises future generations to avoid the pitfalls that have caused him so much pain and suffering. A song is written, and, if it’s special enough, it hangs around waiting for an artist to claim it, putting their indelible stamp on it so that all other versions are henceforth compared to that one unforgettable take. Nobody is sure who wrote “House of the Rising Sun.” But we do know that the Animals, powered by the blustery vocals of Eric Burdon, claimed it. Definite links to gambling or prostitution (if any) are undocumented for either of these buildings.
Curious About The Meaning of Other Famous Songs?
White is also credited with having written new words and music that have subsequently been popularized in the versions made by many other later artists. In August 1980, Dolly Parton released a cover of the song as the third single from her album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. Like Miller's earlier country hit, Parton's remake returns the song to its original lyric of being about a fallen woman. The Parton version makes it quite blunt, with a few new lyric lines that were written by Parton. Parton's remake reached number 14 on the US country singles chart and crossed over to the pop charts, where it reached number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also reached number 30 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. Parton has occasionally performed the song live, including on her 1987–88 television show, in an episode taped in New Orleans.
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The Doors’ rendition of House of the Rising Sun took the original folk song and transformed it into a psychedelic rock masterpiece. They infused the song with their unique sound, incorporating Jim Morrison’s distinctive vocals and Ray Manzarek’s mesmerizing organ playing. The band’s interpretation added a sense of depth and intensity to the track. Most likely, the song in its original form was a folk song from the UK.
The Meaning Behind The Song: House of the Rising Sun by The Doors
In these variations, the narrator is a woman bemoaning her return to prostitution. Male singers made it “the ruin of many a poor boy,” which transformed the title establishment into a gambling den. The other story is that it actually talks about a women’s prison outside New Orleans that had the image of a sun over the gate.
Q: How did The Doors’ version of House of the Rising Sun differ from previous versions?
Famous Yugoslav singer Miodrag "Miki" Jevremović covered the song and included it in his 1964 EP "18 Žutih Ruža" (eng. "Eighteen Yellow Roses"). In 2014, Five Finger Death Punch released a cover version for their album The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2. Five Finger Death Punch's remake reached number 7 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Bob Dylan Stole His Friend's Arrangement for 1 of His Early Songs: 'Very, Very Annoying' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Bob Dylan Stole His Friend's Arrangement for 1 of His Early Songs: 'Very, Very Annoying'.
Posted: Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
In late 1961, Bob Dylan recorded the song for his debut album, released in March 1962. That release had no songwriting credit, but the liner notes indicate that Dylan learned this version of the song from Dave Van Ronk. In an interview for the documentary No Direction Home, Van Ronk said that he was intending to record the song and that Dylan copied his version. Van Ronk recorded it soon thereafter for the album Just Dave Van Ronk.
It was also a time when train lines were still largely being built across America, with many workers singing in unison as they laid rail lines into and from various towns. This can be evidenced in many of both Alan Lomax and his father, John’s folk recordings, where dozens of workers can be found singing in unison — and sometimes harmony — to the tune of their hammers hitting railroad spikes. Anthony describes a situation where he found a version of House of the Rising Sun, in Oklahoma.
Today, we’re bringing you another entry in American Blues Scene’s exclusive “Brief History of a Song” series. Other songs exist with similar titles but are unrelated, including “Rising Sun Blues” by Ivy Smith in 1927. It is interesting how Burdon didn’t perform the song for a long time after the Animals split, calling it an “embarrassment”. He has since made peace with it, however, and has revisited it on various occasions in different styles.
The song was first collected in Appalachia in the 1930s, but probably has its roots in traditional English folk song. A lot of people have sung the song over the years, and there will be a lot that still will sing it. The message in “House of the Rising Sun“ still has relevance today, which is why it is called a timeless song. However, I doubt anyone will ever come close to Eric Burdon’s rendition, which creates the feeling of the tortured soul the song is about. I suppose to an extent, that will depend on whether it is a man or a woman singing it. However, there is a major theme in “House of the Rising Sun” that is common to just about all versions.
To most people, even mentioning House of the Rising Sun evokes memories of The Animals‘ 1964 smash hit, with it’s instantly recognizable circular chord pattern in A-minor. The song itself, however, enjoys a hidden and shockingly broad history that spans every folk-inspired corner of the United States, and dates far earlier than the mid-1960s, when it’s popularity exploded. The Doors’ rendition of House of the Rising Sun showcases the band’s unique sound and their ability to infuse their own emotions into a timeless folk song. The combination of Jim Morrison’s powerful vocals, Ray Manzarek’s haunting organ, and the band’s signature psychedelic sound creates a mesmerizing experience for the listener.
The two were over 100 miles apart, a considerable distance in the 1930s, yet both sang eerily similar versions of the song. In an age where few could afford record players or radios, how did so many people learn the same music such as the Rising Sun? And in an era before cars were common and highways were still 25 years away, how did songs like this one manage to spread across the country? Several have researched the topic of “floating songs”, which, much like the songs themselves, has murky and hard-to-trace origins. Like so many folk songs, the House of the Rising Sun‘s true “origins,” along with exactly where — or even what the Rising Sun was have been washed away by time. Georgia was merely 16 when she recorded the song, but was largely mum on where she had learned it.
The Rising Sun in the song serves as a metaphorical representation of a place of corruption and moral decay. It symbolizes the protagonist’s descent into a life of vice and self-destruction. The Rising Sun can also be seen as a warning, showcasing the consequences of one’s actions and the potential for redemption. A song that, when you try to get to the bottom of what it is all about and where it came from, asks more questions than it answers.
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