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The oldest recording of the song is a version called "Rising Sun Blues" by Tennessee artist Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster, released in 1933. In 1938, ethnomusicologist, folklorist, and archivist Alan Lomax recorded a 16-year-old girl named Georgia Turner sing it in eastern Kentucky. Yes, there are several live recordings of The Doors performing House of the Rising Sun.
Behind The Song Lyrics: “House of the Rising Sun,” The Animals
I put a different spin on it by altering the chords and using a bass line that descended in half steps—a common enough progression in jazz, but unusual among folksingers. By the early 1960s, the song had become one of my signature pieces, and I could hardly get off the stage without doing it. In 1957, Glenn Yarbrough recorded the song for Elektra Records. The song is also credited to Ronnie Gilbert on an album by the Weavers released in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Pete Seeger released a version on Folkways Records in 1958, which was re-released by Smithsonian Folkways in 2009.[16] Andy Griffith recorded the song on his 1959 album Andy Griffith Shouts the Blues and Old Timey Songs.
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In an age where few could afford record players or radios, how did so many people learn the same music such as the Rising Sun? And in an era before cars were common and highways were still 25 years away, how did songs like this one manage to spread across the country? Several have researched the topic of “floating songs”, which, much like the songs themselves, has murky and hard-to-trace origins. The Animals may have given "The House of the Rising Sun" international fame, but the song's life started long before Eric Burdon first heard it performed by singer Johnny Handle in a Newcastle, England club. In fact, no one definitively knows where the song came from or who wrote it, but historians do know it began as a traditional folk song. Some theorize that a form of the song originated as an English folk song and slowly made its way to America, but regardless of where it came from, it started gaining popularity in the Appalachian region of the US.
Are there any known covers of the song besides Leadbelly’s version?
The song’s lyrics leave room for interpretation and symbolism, which has led to various hypotheses regarding its intended meaning. Some view the “House of the Rising Sun” as a metaphor for a brothel or a gambling den, where the narrator’s life takes a tumultuous turn. Others see it as a metaphor for the cycle of addiction, with the rising sun symbolizing the recurring temptations that drag the narrator further into despair. “House of the Rising Sun” tells the story of a narrator who falls into a life of vice and despair in New Orleans. The song’s closing lines, “Well, there is a house in New Orleans.
In August 1980, Dolly Parton released a cover of the song as the third single from her album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. Like Miller's earlier country hit, Parton's remake returns the song to its original lyric of being about a fallen woman. The Parton version makes it quite blunt, with a few new lyric lines that were written by Parton. Parton's remake reached number 14 on the US country singles chart and crossed over to the pop charts, where it reached number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also reached number 30 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.
Later Versions
Medicine shows, popular in the early-to-mid 1900s, were traveling bands of musicians and salesmen. Clarence, as well as unknown others, may have sang the famous House to numerous towns in Appalachia, where some townsfolk would remember and re-sing the song time and again, improvising if they forgot a word or phrase. Almost every track on Baez’s first album covered traditional folk songs. Baez adapted and arranged each to suit her voice and guitar picking. Her remake of House of the Rising Sun is one of the first recordings influenced by Van Ronk’s live version.
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There is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun,It’s been the ruin of many poor girl, and me, O God, for one. Get the latest creative news from Blues Scene about music & art. "House of the Rising Sun" became the Animals' signature song and remains one of the most iconic they have ever released. While House of the Rising Sun primarily focuses on personal struggles and moral dilemmas, it can be interpreted as a commentary on the destructive nature of vice and the consequences it has on individuals and society as a whole. The song serves as a cautionary tale, exploring the consequences of making sinful choices.
Eric Burdon’s musical journey, like the sunrise, is a reminder of the power of resilience and reinvention. His voice, etched into the annals of music history, continues to inspire and move hearts, proving that some suns never truly set. Shortly after Gaga had established herself as a star, she catapulted to a next level of weirdness with this Nadir “RedOne” Khayat production, which drew upon the electronic music Gaga had been inundated with while touring Europe. “I want the deepest, darkest, sickest parts of you that you are afraid to share with anyone because I love you that much” is how she summed up the idea behind the song. Fittingly, she debuted the hit-to-be at Alexander McQueen’s show at Paris Fashion Week.
Notable folk singer Clarence Ashley actually did make an earlier recording of the same song in 1933, where his version is definitively in the bluegrass style. Clarence had said that he learned the song from his grandfather, meaning the song’s origins can be dated to considerably older than 1933. What is interesting is that, while both Ashley and Turner come from the Appalachia region, Clarence was from Tennessee and Georgia was from Kentucky. The two were over 100 miles apart, a considerable distance in the 1930s, yet both sang eerily similar versions of the song.
Its enduring popularity, cultural significance, and ability to resonate with listeners make it a song that continues to captivate and fascinate audiences worldwide. The longevity and enduring popularity of “House of the Rising Sun” can be attributed to its universal themes and captivating storytelling. The song’s exploration of temptation, moral decay, and consequence strikes a chord with listeners across generations, ensuring its place in the annals of music history. Versions of the song have been recorded by many notable artists including Lead Belly, Joan Baez, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Nina Simone, Adolescents, The Ventures, Duane Eddy and Five Finger Death Punch. The song is often heard in the soundtracks of popular TV shows (The West Wing and Supernatural) and movies (Suicide Squad).
But a lot has changed since 2004; back then the iPod was relatively new, and Billie Eilish was three years old. They each sent in a ranked list of their top 50 songs, and we tabulated the results. The Doors’ rendition of House of the Rising Sun showcases the band’s unique sound and their ability to infuse their own emotions into a timeless folk song. The combination of Jim Morrison’s powerful vocals, Ray Manzarek’s haunting organ, and the band’s signature psychedelic sound creates a mesmerizing experience for the listener.
Mysteries in Media Vol. 3: Evil Woman, House of Rising Sun -The Heights - The Heights
Mysteries in Media Vol. 3: Evil Woman, House of Rising Sun -The Heights.
Posted: Wed, 26 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Once The Animals' frontman Burdon heard the song, the band arranged their own version and recorded it in one take in May 1964. Because of the song's folk origin, The Animals' version was described as the very first folk-rock hit. The song has since been named number 122 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list and received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
There has been evidence to suggest that the song, though it’s origins are commonly traced back as far as the early 1900s Appalachia area, has strong roots dozens or even hundreds of years earlier in England. As many people over the years churned and moved and settled, the places that components of the song could have come from are nearly endless. Much like hundreds of other folk songs, the epicenter of House of the Rising Sun is lost to the past.
Dylan has drawn so many plaudits that it almost seems silly to identify one factor for which he hasn’t received enough credit, but I’ll be damned if his sense of melody isn’t second to none. While a host of versions caught on to Leadbelly’s darkness in the intervening years, Dylan turned it into a tuneful affair that stretched beyond a drunken ramble. Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs. The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" is a parody of Heavy Metal.
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