Very rarely do you come across a song like this. A song that, when you try to get to the bottom of what it is all about and where it came from, asks more questions than it answers. The meaning behind “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals is one such song.
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A Special Song?
It can’t even be defined as that. But it has had some very special performances over the years. And, doubtless, will have many more to come. However, it is special in that it captures the imagination and has a very distinct vibe to it.
Eric Burdon, thelead singer of the British blues band The Animals, made it special. And he made the song synonymous with him and the band with his performance. It wasn’t included on their first UK album from 1964 but was included on a later compilation.
The Origins of “House of the Rising Sun“
This song goes back a long way. So far back in time, its origins cannot be pinpointed accurately. One thing for certain is thatthe original version of “House of the Rising Sun”had nothing to do with New Orleans. The first people to sing it had probably never even heard of New Orleans.
Some have claimed that the song emanated from the Appalachian area of America in the 1930s. But that is way wide of the mark. It was being sung in various lyrical formats two hundred years before then, 7000 miles away. Over time, the lyrics have been changed to make them a little more relevant today. But it still retains its air of warning and despair.
Furthermore, it seems that the song has been in existence for at least three hundred years. It has been known under a variety of names and has also switched genres. In some versions, it is about a woman who is returning to prostitution. In others, a man sings the narrative bemoaning his inability to let go of his sordid past, which includes drink, women, and gambling.
The Mystery Deepens
Since theorigins 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. Additionally, nothing was written down at all until 1925. So, there are some interesting references by people who have shed some historical light on the song.
Alan Lomax is a musicologist who looks at these things in trying to identify origins…
He told of when he met an Englishman, Harry Cox, who collected old English folk songs. Cox was a farm laborer in England and had quite a collection of these songs. One of which was called “She was a Rum One.”
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.
The song was certainly known by miners working in America in the early 1900s. And it was also published in a magazine called ‘Adventure.’ There, it is listed under the heading “Old Songs That Men Have Sung.”
Written and Recorded
The song was first recorded in 1933 by Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster under the title “Rising Sun Blues.” In response to a question about the song’s origins, Ashley said that his grandfather had taught it to him. Grandfather Enoch was married at the time of the American Civil war, which places the timeframe we are looking at in context. It was laterrecorded in 1938 by Roy Acuff.
Most likely, the song in its original form was a folk song from the UK. So, we shouldn’t be surprised to find references to ‘The Rising Sun.’ It is a common name for an English pub even today. Pubs of two to three hundred years ago were often “houses of ill-repute.” The song was likely carried to America by immigrants who performed it there, from whence local names and traditions became intertwined.
The Modern Versions
There are far too manyversions of “House of the Rising Sun”to list them all. But, a few notable recordings areLeadbelly from 1948,Joan Baez from 1960, andBob Dylan from 1962. Both the Joan Baez and Dylan versions were included on their first albums, which were both very folk-oriented.
And Along Came Eric
The Animals were from the Northeast of England and were a well-known blues band even in London, 300 miles south. Their first single, “Baby Let Me Take You Home,” was an indication that they were going to be good. Released in 1964, it reached #21 in the UK and almost broke into the Top 100 in America. Producer Mickie Most was looking for a follow-up and wanted something different.
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. He took the chord structure from the Bob Dylan version.
At the time, all this was going on…
The Animals were on a UK concert tour supporting Chuck Berry. For most bands, when you had a big-name artist that was to follow, you usually end up with a bit of a rocker.
The Animals decided to try out “House of the Rising Sun” on the audience to finish their set. And, as Burdon later said, the reception from the audience was staggering.
One Take
They recorded it in just one take, but producer Mickie Most wasn’t impressed. The whole thing was finished and produced in less than fifteen minutes. But it was four and a half minutes long, way over the standard single length for the time.
Besides that, Most just didn’t like it when they played it to him. He hadn’t even wanted to waste time recording it at all. But, he later admitted when they had finished it, he knew it was special.
It Was Different
At the time, most Pop songs had something that set them apart. A good hook, an interesting guitar solo, or plenty of vocals. But, they rarely had three different “high points.” This song did, which is one reasonwhy “House of the Rising Sun” is so unique.
First, there was that iconic guitar arpeggio to start the song that every learning guitarist tried to play but couldn’t. Then there was a powerful organ solo in the middle that ‘Pricey’ dragged out of his shaking Vox Continental. However, it was the vocals that set the song apart, especially when Eric went up an octave.
There were only two singers that could do that and make it work so well. Eric was one, Joe co*cker the other. The vocals gave meaning and emotion to the song. They forced you to have sympathy for the narrator. “House of the Rising Sun” went to #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and was thefirst major Folk-Rock success.
The Meaning Behind “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals
I suppose to an extent, that will depend on whether it is a man or a woman singing it. And which version do they happen to be singing? However, there is a major theme in “House of the Rising Sun” that is common to just about all versions.
It speaks of the city of New Orleans being a place where your life can just go very wrong if you fall in with the wrong people. The verses are very descriptive and almost are a warning at times. They talk about the house being the ruin of a boy. So, you are left in doubt when he admits that “he is one.”
He describes his family, his mother, a tailor, and his father, a gambler. Then comes the warning. He pleads with mothers not to let any of their children “do what I have done.” He emphasizes it may look like a glamorous place, but all you get from the House of The Rising Sun is “sin and misery.”
A Twist In The Tail?
The lyrics take an interesting twist. That’s because they indicate that the boy isn’t there at all. Instead, he is about to board a train to take him back. He is tempted not to go but hasn’t got the willpower to say no, almost like he has given up on himself.
He has a foot on the platform and a foot on the train. But he still goes and knows that the temptations of the place are like a ball and chain that he is condemned to carry. That reference has been taken to mean going back to prison. However, it seems more likely it is a metaphor for his addictions to drinking and gambling.
Burdon then lets rip with all the emotion and anguish he can muster for that last verse as he pummels our senses. The song then tapers off to a gentle ending, with Alan Price again taking the lead. It was a sensation then, and listening back still is now. One of the original versions reverses the genders and is about a woman who has no option but to return to that sort of life.
Curious About The Meaning of Other Famous Songs?
Well, check out our thoughts onThe Meaning Behind “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, theMeaning Behind “Hotel California” Song By The Eagles,The Meaning Behind “Lola” by The Kinks, theMeaning Behind “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, and theMeaning Of ‘American Pie’ Song Lyricsfor more information, insight, and analysis.
The Meaning Behind “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals – Final Thoughts
It remains, without a doubt, one of thesongs that shaped the 60sand, to some extent, shaped rock music. The use of light and shade and a progressive atmospheric build was innovative. Those vocals, and the essential organ part from Alan Price, lifted this song way above anything else at the time.
A lot of people have sung the song over the years, and there will be a lot that still will sing it. Themessage in “House of the Rising Sun“still has relevance today, which is why it is called a timeless song. However, I doubt anyone will ever come close to Eric Burdon’s rendition, which creates the feeling of the tortured soul the song is about.
In many ways…
It is a great song for them to perform, but it wasn’t the only one that raised the roof. Their greatest hits album is packed with The Animals’ best stuff. And,they were pretty good live as well.
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.
Until next time, happy listening.
