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The lyrics evoke a sense of sadness and introspection, urging the listener to reflect on their own choices and actions. This is a song that is instantly recognized by those first seven or eight guitar notes. And it is a song that has become more than special in the history of Rock and Blues Music. But he still goes and knows that the temptations of the place are like a ball and chain that he is condemned to carry.
More From: Behind The Song
While the original version was sung in the character of a woman led into a life of degradation, the Animals' version is told from the view of a young man who follows his father into alcoholism and gambling ruin. House of the Rising Sun played a significant role in establishing The Doors as one of the leading bands of their time. It showcased their musical versatility and ability to put a fresh spin on a traditional song. The Doors’ version became one of their signature songs and helped solidify their place in rock music history.
Dolly Parton version
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 Song
Fire destroys home in Wood County on Thursday - Toledo - WTOL
Fire destroys home in Wood County on Thursday - Toledo.
Posted: Thu, 11 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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.
Earliest American versions
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.
Free Music
Eric Burdon heard this song sung in a Northeastern folk club and brought the song to the group as a suggestion. They “electrified” it, added a superb organ solo from Alan Price, and Burdon sang it first in a lower register, then took it up an octave. The whole thing was started by Hilton Valentine’s iconic guitar arpeggio beginning. Eric Burdon and the Animals, who popularized the song worldwide when they recorded and released it in 1964, didn’t know. Even Alan Lomax couldn’t suss out the song’s origin, though he tried, and suspected it may have originated with an English farm worker named Harry Cox who sang a song called “She Was a Rum One” with a similar opening line. The repetition of these words reinforces the cyclical nature of life, suggesting that the house itself symbolizes a continuous, inescapable cycle of ruin for those who find themselves trapped within its walls.
However, this is kind of an impossible mission and a huge mystery no one will ever be able to solve. The first one was Clarence Ashley in 1933, who claimed he learned the song from his grandfather. The other one was Alan Lomax, who in 1941 produced the song using a girl named Georgia Turner as the main voice of the song to make it more relatable to the story it tells. As for the name of the song, it’s believed that “Rising Sun” was a popular name for English pubs and that New Orleans was only a way to claim the song and make it more relatable when it arrived in the US. Now, if you think about the history of the city, there are other versions of the story that could also fit in their theories. The song has its roots in traditional folk music and has been passed down through generations.
The Animals recorded their world-famous version in one take during a May, 1964 recording session. The song has been continuously been lauded for it’s sound and staying power, and remained The Animals most popular single. Early folk songs such as Rising Sun were also spread through the railroads. These were times when the only practical means of travel across long distances, which sometimes even meant 100 miles or less, was by train.
Five Finger Death Punch version
So, there are some interesting references by people who have shed some historical light on the song. “The House Of The Rising Sun” has been the subject of much interpretation and discussion over the years. While some believe the song to be about a brothel in New Orleans, others argue that it speaks to the allure and destructive nature of addiction. Regardless of its exact meaning, the song’s universal themes of regret, redemption, and the consequences of one’s actions resonate with listeners of all generations. Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.
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.
Producer Mickie Most was looking for a follow-up and wanted something different. In that version, you will find a similar tune and words, with Lowestoft, a seaside town in the UK, replacing New Orleans. The mystery deepens when you learn that there is a pub in Lowestoft called ‘The Rising Sun.’ Opened before 1964, I might add. Since the origins of “House of the Rising Sun“ may have been at a time when very few ordinary people were literate, nothing about the original song has been written down.
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.
Ted Anthony wrote a definitive book on Rising Sun called Chasing the Rising Sun. In it, his journey in search of the true birth of the song take him to a dozen states and even across the Atlantic ocean. The book expertly discusses Rising Sun as a part of the greater story of the spread of folk music at large. Anthony presents several ways songs tended to move across the confining borders of small towns where many of the folk singers, both recorded or otherwise, lived their entire lives and died. Anthony asserts that Clarence Ashley actually traveled the Appalachia area in the 1920s with medicine shows.
Yes, there are several live recordings of The Doors performing House of the Rising Sun. These performances showcase the band’s raw energy and improvisation skills, with each performance offering a unique interpretation of the song. Some notable live versions can be found on The Doors’ live albums and concert recordings.
The “ball and chain” may mean ‘prison’, but could also be a metaphor for addiction to gambling and booze. There are various places in Crescent City that have become possible locales for the subject of the song. While “House of the Rising Sun” often implies a brothel, many don’t know if the song points to a real place or a fictitious one. Music scholars have noted that it bears resemblance to the 16th-century song “The Unfortunate Rake,” but whether these songs are siblings, so to speak, is unknown.
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.
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