The precursor to BTO was the band Brave Belt, which was formed in 1970 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both of The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner. An original form of the group included musician Keith Emerson of The Nice (and later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), but he was dropped due to illness. After two moderately successful Brave Belt albums came out, Allan was replaced by Tim Bachman, the third of the Bachman brothers, and the band changed its name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada as stated before, BTO released their first album under that name in the spring of 1973. Their second album was Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, and it became a massive hit in the US and their native Canada. It also yielded their best-remembered single, "Takin' Care of Business" written by Randy Bachman. BTO were one of the early hard rock bands which opted for songs backed by catchy melodies and powerful riffing. The band also promoted a strait-laced lifestyle due to the Mormon religious beliefs of Randy Bachman.
Tim Bachman left because of limited performance skills and personal lifestyle issues, and was replaced by Blair Thornton. The first album with the modified lineup, 1974's Not Fragile became a hit, including the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". The band continued to steadily produce successful albums through the mid-1970s including Four Wheel Drive and Head On (both 1975).
After the release of Freeways in 1977, Randy Bachman left the group for a solo career and another band, Ironhorse. Randy was replaced by Jim Clench, formerly of April Wine, and BTO released a pair of albums before breaking up in 1979. They reunited in 1983, leading to a lawsuit between the brothers, as one group, led by Randy, toured as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and another, led by Robbie, toured as BTO (Robbie Bachman, Fred Turner, Blair Thornton, and Randy Murray). Interestingly enough, in 1984 the line up for Bachman-Turner's first studio LP in 5 years consisted of Randy and Tim Bachman, Fred Turner and Garry Peterson on drums. In 1986 they were the opening band for the newly reformed Van Halen. By that time Fred Turner had left the band, probably to join the "other" BTO. Robbie Bachman's BTO toured and performed until early 2005.
Musicians Randy Bachman and Fred Turner reunited in 2010 for a tour and collaboration on new songs. In 2010, they notably played the half-time show at the Grey Cup in Edmonton, AB.
Website: http://www.bachmanandturner.com/
House of the Rising Sun
Bachman-Turner Overdrive 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 bluejeans
My father was a gamblin' man
Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time that he's satisfied
Is when he's all drunk.
Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
To spend their life in sin and misery
In the house of the Rising Sun.
With one foot on the platform
And the other foot on the train
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain
There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many young poor boys
And god I know I'm one.
The song "House Of The Rising Sun" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive is a cover of the traditional American folk song. The lyrics describe a house in New Orleans that is referred to as the Rising Sun, which has been the ruin of many young poor boys, including the singer himself. The singer talks about his parents, his mother being a tailor who sewed his blue jeans and his father being a gambler in New Orleans. The lyrics suggest that gambling, alcohol, and a life of sin and misery are associated with the Rising Sun.
The singer warns the listeners, particularly children, not to follow in his footsteps and end up in the same situation. He sings about the struggles and the pain he has experienced and how he is going back to New Orleans to wear the ball and chain. The chorus repeats the title of the song, describing the house in New Orleans that has caused so much trouble.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a life full of vices and the consequences that come with it. The Rising Sun symbolizes a place where people are drawn to do things they shouldn't, a place where their lives can be ruined.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a house in New Orleans.
There is a residence located in the city of New Orleans.
They call the Rising Sun.
The house is known by the name The Rising Sun.
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
The house has led to the downfall of many young, impoverished men.
And God I know I'm one.
The singer himself has been negatively affected by the house.
My mother was a tailor
The singer's mother worked as a seamstress.
She sewed my new bluejeans
His mother created a new pair of blue jeans for him.
My father was a gamblin' man
The singer's dad was known for gambling.
Down in New Orleans.
His father did this in the city of New Orleans.
Now the only thing a gambler needs
The sole requirement for a gambler is
Is a suitcase and a trunk
They only need a suitcase and a trunk for their belongings.
And the only time that he's satisfied
A gambler can only be content
Is when he's all drunk.
When he's under the influence of alcohol.
Oh mother tell your children
The singer is requesting his mother share this message with his younger siblings.
Not to do what I have done
To learn from his mistakes and not make the same choices he did.
To spend their life in sin and misery
The singer warns his siblings against leading a life filled with wrongdoing and hardship.
In the house of the Rising Sun.
Specifically warning against living in the aforementioned house.
With one foot on the platform
Standing on one of the elevated surfaces near the tracks of a train station.
And the other foot on the train
The singer is preparing to board the train.
I'm going back to New Orleans
The singer is returning to the city of New Orleans.
To wear that ball and chain
Describing being imprisoned or weighed down by something, perhaps a sense of obligation.
And it's been the ruin of many young poor boys
The house has been detrimental to many impoverished young men.
And god I know I'm one.
The singer has unfortunately fallen victim to the house's negative impact as well.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alan Price
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind