What is the House of the Rising Sun?

Sound Design by Graham Haerther
Imagery from Getty Images
Co-Written by Mathew Brule

[Polyphonic]

What's your personal favorite version of House of the Rising Sun? Share it with us here! I'd love to hear more cool takes on the song.

[publiusvelocitor]

When I lived in Japan, my Japanese coworkers always wanted me to sing this at karaoke. As a native English speaker, they liked when I sang English songs that had been popular in Japan. I eventually learned they thought the lyrics were something about Japan... the "land of the rising sun."

[cronkitesatellite]

The House of the Rising Sun is next door to the Hotel California.

[michaeld.]

The Animal's version of the song is the most haunting and soul-binding. Eric Burdon's voice and intonation pulls you into verses, and mesmerizes the listener. The guitar sets the melody, but the real kicker is the organ. No other instrument could rival the choice keyboard. The organ was the icing on the cake. Just amazing.

[maicey_t.]

This song feels ancient and unknowable. I love that there's so much history behind it, because it fits the mood of the song for it to have such a winding, storied path before eventually becoming the iconic Animals version we all know.

[yesh]

The version played by the Animals is one of the most iconic songs ever.
The use of the organ and the time signature is simply brilliant .
A haunting melody .

[bradyweed]

Once I added a verse to this song as a songwriting exercise and my dad was confused. “You can’t just add a verse to House of the Rising Sun”. After seeing this video and how the song has evolved, I think it was perfectly in theme with this song’s history.

[donnahilton]

My grandfather played it on the violin. He was born in 1882.

[erinmalone]

The first time I heard those opening notes when I was a teenager I was blown away. That intro is absolutely masterful and moving.

[jgc]

Also, let's not forget Alan Price's wonderful contribution on the organ that made the Animals version so iconic.

[marasmusine]

That a song was said to be "too old to talk about" gave me a little Lovecraftian shudder.

[metoo]

I love your research. Licensed new Orleans historian here, specifically French quarter and garden district as well as a specialty on Metairie cemetery which is the 1st sign you're heading into the city. So I'll begin by admitting I'm biased. The house of the rising sun was a brothel. Originally it was a convent for the urseline nuns but when they upgraded they no longer had a need for it so sold it to a Madame. She was notorious for being good to her girls, and supposedly wouldn't hesitate to unalive an abusive john and bury them in the court yard. We acknowledge this could be myth because new Orleans is a place where myth and reality are constantly getting melted into each other, but we will spend all night arguing with the guy on the barstool next to us if they they try to take it from us

[xpendabull]

I always interpreted the House of the Rising Sun to be a brothel, and the singers father was a rambling man and gambler. The mother doesn’t teach her son the right path and grows up to become just like his father, and the whole cycle begins anew.
I also have always viewed the organ as a religious instrument since you see them in churches so much and it’s music is used to cleanse one of sin. However in this case the House is a place to worship sin, so to speak, so hearing an organ be used in such a way makes it that much more interesting and captivating.

[curtiswoods]

I always viewed " The House of the Rising Sun" as a metaphor for "addiction". A state of mind where someone is doing something that makes them feel good but is killing them.

[trwsandford]

If I had been a bar owner in New Orleans in the 1960's I would have quietly added a patina'd wood carving of a rising sun to the exterior of the building. Then just let the rumors and legends grow themselves.

[vdussaut]

The Animals’ choice of the organ to drive the song to its crescendo was absolute brilliance—it’s reminiscent of a church organ and what gives the song such a powerful spiritual overtone.

[TheWolf]

this story shows just HOW IMPORTANT returning creative works into public domain is

[masicbemester]

"The meaning of the House of the Rising Sun is always the same: It's a place of vice, a place of darkness and foreboding, and a place that one desperately wants to avoid, yet is constantly drawn back to."
so, the internet? Maybe not all of it, but I feel like there's a pattern here. Like, a chunk of the internet is essentially the House of the Rising Sun.

[elgritton]

This is what music progression is, a version of one after the other. Modern copyright claims ruined this epic practice that could withstand for decades.

[beyondobscure]

It's incredible to think about how many songs are out there just like this, waiting for a popular artist to cover it, unearthing centuries of historical backstory.