The Animals had begun featuring their arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun" during a joint concert tour with Chuck Berry, using it as their closing number to differentiate themselves from acts which always closed with straight rockers. It got a tremendous reaction from the audience, convincing initially reluctant producer Mickie Most that it had hit potential, and between tour stops the group went to a small recording studio on Kingsway in London to capture it.
Recorded in just one take on 18 May 1964, it started with a famous electric guitar A minor chord arpeggio by Hilton Valentine. The performance took off with Eric Burdon's lead vocal, which has been variously described as "howling", "soulful", and "deep and gravelly as the north-east English coal town of Newcastle that spawned him." Finally, Alan Price's pulsating organ part completed the sound (see Vox Continental). Burdon later said, "We were looking for a song that would grab people's attention," and they succeeded: "House of the Rising Sun" was a true trans-Atlantic hit, topping both the U.S. pop singles chart (in September 1964, when it became the first British Invasion number one unconnected with The Beatles) and the UK pop singles chart (two months earlier, in July of that year); it was the group's breakthrough hit in both countries and became their signature song. The song was also a hit in a number of other countries.
The Animals' rendition of the song is recognized as one of the classics of the British Invasion. Writer Lester Bangs labeled it "a brilliant rearrangement" and "a new standard rendition of an old standard composition." It ranked number 122 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The RIAA placed it as number 240 on their Songs of the Century list. In 1999 it received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. And besides critical acclaim, it has long since become a staple of oldies and classic rock radio formats. A 2005 Five poll ranked it as Britons' fourth favourite number one song of all time.
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
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
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