House of the Rising Sun
The Rolling Stones Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
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's satisfied
Is when he's on a 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "House of the Rising Sun" by The Rolling Stones describe a notorious brothel in New Orleans that has destroyed the lives of many young men and women. The song begins with the singer acknowledging the ruin that the house has caused him, indicating that he has been caught up in its vices. The second verse describes the singer's parents, with his father being a gambler and his mother a tailor. The third verse goes into further detail about his father's gambling, mentioning that it is all he needs and that he is only satisfied when he is drunk. The final verse serves as a warning to others, with the singer pleading with their mother to tell their children not to follow in his footsteps.


The lyrics of the song are haunting and describe the destructive impact of vice and addiction. The house that the song refers to is a real place, and there have been many theories about its exact location. Some have suggested that it refers to a popular brothel on Conti Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, while others claim that it was located in the neighboring city of Gretna. Regardless of its actual location, the song's lyrics have continued to resonate with listeners and serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of temptation and addiction.


Line by Line Meaning

There is a house in New Orleans
In New Orleans city, there is a specific house that is known as the Rising Sun.


They call the Rising Sun
The house in question has earned the name the Rising Sun among the people in the city.


And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
This house has been the reason for the downfall and destruction of many young men who were unfortunate in life.


And God I know I'm one
The singer, too, has suffered the same fate as many others due to this house and its allure.


My mother was a tailor
The singer's mother worked as a tailor for a living.


She sewed my new bluejeans
His mother skillfully made him a new pair of blue-jeans, likely to be worn on his travels.


My father was a gamblin' man
The singer's father was known for his gambling habits.


Down in New Orleans
The father was known for gambling in the city of New Orleans, which is infamous for its many gambling establishments.


Now the only thing a gambler needs
The singer believes that the only things a gambler requires to be content are simple material items.


Is a suitcase and trunk
These material items that a gambler requires are nothing more than a suitcase and a trunk to hold his belongings.


And the only time he's satisfied
The singer believes that a gambler can only be truly satisfied when he is indulging in his vice of choice.


Is when he's on a drunk
For a gambler, the ultimate happiness can only be achieved while they are under the influence of alcohol.


Oh mother tell your children
The singer pleads with mothers to make their children aware of his unfortunate fate in life.


Not to do what I have done
He implores them not to follow in his footsteps or make the same decisions which led him to ruin.


Spend your lives in sin and misery
To continue on this path will only lead to a life of malice and unhappiness.


In the House of the Rising Sun
Once again, referring to the house in question which has destroyed so many young men's lives.


Well, I got one foot on the platform
The singer has one foot on a platform in the train station.


The other foot on the train
His other foot has already stepped on his mode of transportation, the train.


I'm goin' back to New Orleans
The singer is en route back to New Orleans, likely referencing his past mistakes and history with the infamous Rising Sun.


To wear that ball and chain
He is returning to New Orleans to serve a sentence, either physical or mental, much like that of being weighed down by a ball and chain.


Well, there is a house in New Orleans
The song concludes by bringing back full circle to the Rising Sun - the house that caused so much strife and pain for so many.




Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@HolidayMusic

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@ederryco

Elvis P. In Las vegas 1970 suspicious mind😊😊

@n_hasss4280

No easy way out

@mfouad6443

Elvis - Rubberneckin' from the original scene in the movie " Change of habit "

@beatricecavanna4303

Don't stop me now..... all the queen's songs!!

@user-md2zz3er6f

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@ROCKAlEX-zl5hb

Don't worry you are not the only one listening to this masterpiece in 2024.

@BiGgUsGaMiNg

Let’s go my boi! Still one of my favourite songs ever since I was 5

@MusicGamer1235

Same

@ROCKAlEX-zl5hb

​@@MusicGamer1235so cool man!!!

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