History
First incarnation
Formed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne during 1962 and 1963 when Burdon joined the existing Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the original line-up comprised Eric Burdon (vocals), Alan Price (organ and keyboards), Hilton Valentine (guitar), John Steel (drums), and Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass). The Animals' moderate success in their hometown and a connection with The Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964, in time to be grouped with the British Invasion. They performed fiery versions of the staple rhythm and blues repertoire (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, etc). Signed to the Columbia Graphophone subsidiary of EMI, a rocking version of the standard "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" (retitled Baby Let Me Take You Home) was their first UK hit single.
It was followed in June 1964 by the huge transatlantic hit "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement created arguably the first folk rock hit. Whether the arrangement was inspired by Bob Dylan's version of the song (which in turn was inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk) or by blues singer Josh White's (who recorded it twice in 1944 and 1949) or by singer/pianist Nina Simone (who recorded it in 1962 on At The Village Gate, predating Dylan's interpretation) remains a subject of dispute, as does whether all five Animals deserved credit for the arrangement and not just Price.
The Animals' two-year chart career, masterminded by producer Mickie Most, featured singles that were intense, gritty pop covers such as Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me and the Nina Simone number Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. In contrast their album tracks stayed with rhythm and blues, with Hooker's Boom Boom and Ray Charles' I Believe to My Soul being notable examples. Burdon's powerful, deep voice and the use of keyboards as much or more than guitars were two elements that made the Animals' sound stand out.
By May 1965 the group was starting to feel internal pressures. Price left due to personal and musical differences as well as a fear of flying on tour; he went on to a successful career as a solo artist and with the Alan Price Set. Mickey Gallagher filled in for him on keyboards for a spell, until Dave Rowberry replaced him and was on hand for the hit working-class anthems We Gotta Get Out of this Place and It's My Life. Around that time, an Animals Big Band even made a one-time appearance.
Many of The Animals' hits had come from Brill Building songwriters recruited by Most; the group, and Burdon in particular, felt this was too restrictive. As 1965 ended the group switched to Decca Records and producer Tom Wilson, who gave them more artistic freedom. In early 1966 MGM Records, their American label, collected their hits onto The Best of The Animals; it became their best-selling album in the U.S. In February 1966 Steel left and was replaced by Barry Jenkins; a leftover cover of Goffin-King's Don't Bring Me Down and the powerful hard rock tune See See Rider were the last hits as The Animals.
By this time their business affairs "were in a total shambles," according to Chandler (who would go on to manage Jimi Hendrix), and the group disbanded. Even by the standards of the day, when artists tended to be financially naïve, the Animals made very little money from their successes, eventually claiming mismanagement and theft on the part of their manager Mike Jeffery.
Second incarnation
A group with Burdon, Jenkins, and new sidemen John Weider (guitar/violin/bass), Vic Briggs alias Antion (guitar/piano), and Danny McCulloch (bass) was formed under the name Eric Burdon and the New Animals (or sometimes just Eric Burdon & the Animals) in October 1966, and changed direction. The hard-driving blues was transformed into Burdon's version of psychedelia, as the former heavy-drinking Geordie (who later said he could never get used to Newcastle, "where the rain comes at you sideways") relocated to California and became a spokesman for the Love Generation, but also a former heavy metal act and one of the upcoming stars of the genre such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple..
Some of this group's hits included "San Franciscan Nights", "Monterey" (a tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and the anti-war "Sky Pilot". There were further changes to this line-up: George Bruno (a/k/a Zoot Money, keyboards) was added in April 1968, and in July 1968 Andy Summers [sic] (guitar)—later of The Police—replaced Briggs and McCulloch.
By 1969 these Animals had dissolved, and Eric Burdon joined forces with a Latin group from Long Beach, California called War.
The first hit under Eric Burdon & War was the funky/chill-out song Spill the Wine. The Group with 8 members disbanded in July 1971.
Later incarnations
The original Animals line-up of Burdon, Price, Valentine, Chandler, and Steel briefly reunited for a benefit concert in Newcastle in 1968, for an album in 1977 and again for an album and tour (supplemented by Zoot Money on keyboards and Steve Grant on guitar) in 1983. Chandler died in 1996.
In the 2000s Burdon has toured with a new set of musicians under the name "Eric Burdon and the Animals". Periodically during the 1990s and 2000s Valentine, Steel, and Dave Rowberry toured under the name "(Hilton Valentine's) The Animals" and Valentine and Steel under the name "Animals II". Rowberry died in 2003. As of 2005 "Animals & Friends" was also active, consisting of Steel and Mickey Gallagher; this group frequently play gigs on a Color Line ship that travels between Scandinavia and Germany.
Legacy
The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Their influence can be heard in artists as varied as The Doors, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Canned Heat, David Johansen, Joe Cocker, Fine Young Cannibals, Iggy Pop, Mando Diao and many, many more.
The House of the Rising Sun
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
She 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'll be satisfied
Is when he's all 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
"The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals is a folk blues song that tells the story of a young man's journey into a life of gambling and sin in the notorious brothel in New Orleans known as the "Rising Sun." The lyrics speak of the many young men who have been lured into the house of ill repute and their subsequent downfalls. The singer warns his listeners to heed his warning and not follow in his footsteps.
The song's first line sets the scene in New Orleans, a city known for its jazz, blues, and hedonistic lifestyle. The mention of the "Rising Sun" immediately conjures up a place of temptation and vice. The singer then proceeds to describe his family background, with his father being a gambling man and his mother a tailor. This line acts as a foreshadowing of the singer's eventual fate. The next stanza depicts the life of a gambler, with their constant need for travel and love of alcohol. The singer then begs his mother to warn others not to make the same mistakes as he has and to avoid a life of sin and unhappiness.
The last stanza brings the song full circle, as the singer realizes, at last, that he has fallen victim to the temptations of the "Rising Sun." He is returning to New Orleans with a heavy heart, knowing that he will be returning to the chains of his former life. The song ends with a reiteration of the warning of the first verse, as the singer states that many have been ruined by the "Rising Sun," including himself.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a house in New Orleans
There exists a particular dwelling in the city of New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
This house is commonly referred to as the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
This house has caused the downfall of numerous impoverished young men
And God, I know I'm one
The artist acknowledges that he is included among the aforementioned unfortunate souls
My mother was a tailor
The artist's mother was a seamstress
She sewed my new blue jeans
This individual's mother stitched together their denim pants
My father was a gamblin' man
The singer's father was a habitual gambler
Down in New Orleans
This man engaged in his gambling activities in the city of New Orleans
Now the only thing a gambler needs
For a gambler, the sole essential item is
Is a suitcase and trunk
A suitcase and trunk to transport their belongings
And the only time he'll be satisfied
Happiness for a gambler can only be obtained
Is when he's all drunk
In a drunken state
Oh, mother, tell your children
The singer implores their mother to advise their children
Not to do what I have done
To avoid the same mistakes made by the singer
Spend your lives in sin and misery
Remaining in this lifestyle will lead to a life of sin and unhappiness
In the House of the Rising Sun
Referring to the aforementioned residence, which has led to the downfall of many
Well, I got one foot on the platform
The artist is physically positioned with one foot on the train's boarding area
The other foot on the train
While their other foot is literally aboard the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
The singer is returning to the city where they originated
To wear that ball and chain
An allusion is made to the burdensome weight of a prisoner's shackles, stating that the artist is going back to suffer the same fate again
Well, there is a house in New Orleans
The song's chorus is repeated, again discussing the prominent residence
They call the Rising Sun
A familiar name for this notorious dwelling
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
This place has drastically impacted the lives of numerous young, financially destitute men
And God, I know I'm one
Once again, the artist affirms their inclusion among these same individuals
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alan Price
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind