What is the House of the Rising Sun?

Summary

This video explores the enduring mystery and cultural impact of 'The House of the Rising Sun,' a song with a history as rich and complex as its many interpretations. From its Appalachian origins to its global fame, the song has been a canvas for artists to paint their own narratives of vice and redemption. The Animals' electrifying rendition in 1964 brought the song to new heights, influencing even Bob Dylan's decision to go electric. The video delves into the song's various meanings, from a New Orleans brothel to a metaphor for temptation, suggesting that the 'House' is a universal symbol of the dark allure that draws us back to our own undoing.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The Animals' rendition of 'House of the Rising Sun' was a pivotal moment, capturing the audience's attention by choosing a different approach instead of trying to out-rock Chuck Berry.
• 🏠 The song 'House of the Rising Sun' has a rich history and has been interpreted in various genres, from metal to reggae, becoming one of the most performed songs in music history.
• 🤔 The true meaning behind 'House of the Rising Sun' is a subject of debate, with theories suggesting it could represent a brothel, gambling den, prison, or pub.
• 📚 The song's origins are believed to be from rural Appalachian hills, with its earliest written version dating back to 1925 and titled simply 'Rising Sun'.
• 🎵 Traveling musicians and medicine shows played a crucial role in spreading the song, often modifying it to fit local tastes, making it difficult to trace an original version.
• 🎼 Clarence Tom Ashley's recording is one of the oldest surviving versions, reflecting his own life as a male rambler.
• 🇬🇧 Some music historians trace the song back to an English archetype known as 'The Unfortunate Rake', dating to the 16th century.
• 🌐 Alan Lomax, an ethnomusicologist, helped bring 'House of the Rising Sun' into American popular culture through his field recordings.
• 🎵 Different versions of the song have been influenced by various artists, including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Lead Belly, each adding their unique style.
• 🔥 The Animals' version of 'House of the Rising Sun' became a transatlantic hit, reaching the top of the UK and US charts in 1964.
• 🔄 The song's popularity has endured, with hundreds of artists covering it over the past 50 years, each putting their own spin on the timeless piece.

Q & A

What was the opportunity that the band 'The Animals' got in May 1964?

In May 1964, the band 'The Animals' got the opportunity to open for the original rock star Chuck Berry.

What was Eric Burdon's approach when opening for Chuck Berry?

Eric Burdon, the frontman of 'The Animals', decided not to try to out-rock Chuck Berry. Instead, he took the stage under a single red spotlight and sang the iconic words of 'House of the Rising Sun'.

What is the significance of the song 'House of the Rising Sun' in music history?

The song 'House of the Rising Sun' has become one of the single most performed songs in music history, with renditions in every genre, making it a key piece of music mythology and a cornerstone of America's folk history.

What are the various interpretations of what 'House of the Rising Sun' might represent?

The 'House of the Rising Sun' has been interpreted as a brothel, a gambling den, a prison, a pub, or an abstract metaphor. It has also been suggested to reference real historical places.

Where is the song 'House of the Rising Sun' believed to have originated from?

The song likely originated from the rural Appalachian hills, in the days before radio, where music communities were largely insular and songs spread through traveling musicians and medicine shows.

What is the earliest written version of 'House of the Rising Sun' known as?

The earliest written version of 'House of the Rising Sun' from 1925 was simply titled 'Rising Sun'.

Who recorded the oldest version of 'House of the Rising Sun' that still survives to this day?

A traveling musician named Clarence Tom Ashley recorded the oldest version of 'House of the Rising Sun' that still survives to this day.

What is the connection between 'House of the Rising Sun' and English ballads?

Some music historians have traced the origin of 'House of the Rising Sun' back to an archetype of English ballad known as 'The Unfortunate Rake', which dates back to the middle of the 16th century.

How did Alan Lomax contribute to the popularization of 'House of the Rising Sun'?

Alan Lomax, an ethnomusicologist, made hundreds of field recordings of folk music, including a version of 'House of the Rising Sun' by Georgia Turner. His recordings helped the song enter the zeitgeist of American music.

What was the impact of Bob Dylan's version of 'House of the Rising Sun'?

Bob Dylan's version of 'House of the Rising Sun' helped shape the song as it is recognized today, featuring a novel chord progression borrowed from Dave Van Ronk. It also influenced the Animals' version, which became a transatlantic hit.

How did the Animals' version of 'House of the Rising Sun' differ from previous renditions?

The Animals' version electrified the chords from the Van Ronk arrangement, changed the time signature to 6/8 to lend more urgency, and their lyrics, while similar to Dylan's, were delivered with a perspective that resonated with their audience.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 The Legacy of 'House of the Rising Sun'

This paragraph introduces the song 'House of the Rising Sun' and its historical significance in music. It discusses how the Animals, a rock band in 1964, chose to perform this song in a unique manner when opening for Chuck Berry, acknowledging that they couldn't outperform him. The paragraph delves into the song's origins, tracing it back to the Appalachian hills and its spread through traveling musicians. It also mentions the various interpretations of the song's meaning, from a brothel to a gambling den, and its evolution through different renditions and genres, reflecting its status as a cornerstone of American folk history.

05:01

🏰 Exploring the Origins and Interpretations

Paragraph 2 continues the exploration of 'House of the Rising Sun,' focusing on its potential origins and interpretations. It discusses the song's possible English heritage, suggesting it could be an old term for a pub. The paragraph also touches on the historical existence of a New Orleans establishment by the same name, which might have been a coffee house that sold alcohol. The narrative then shifts to the influence of Alan Lomax, who helped popularize the song through his recordings and sharing with folk artists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. The paragraph also highlights how the song resonated with black musicians and was adapted by artists like Lead Belly and Nina Simone, each bringing their unique style to the song.

10:06

🎸 The Animals' Rendition and Its Impact

Paragraph 3 delves into the Animals' version of 'House of the Rising Sun,' which became a sensation in the 1960s. It describes how the band electrified the song and changed its time signature, contributing to its urgency. The paragraph also discusses Eric Burdon's personal experiences that informed the song's narrative, which may have influenced the theory that the song is about a brothel. The paragraph further explores the song's journey back to its possible roots in the UK and the subsequent accusations of copying between Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk. It concludes with the Animals' recording of the song, which became a transatlantic hit and influenced Dylan to go electric, solidifying the song's place in pop music history.

15:08

🎥 Skillshare and Creative Learning

The final paragraph shifts focus from the song's history to a sponsorship message about Skillshare, an online learning platform. It encourages viewers to explore the platform by offering a one-month free trial and highlights courses that can help users learn new skills or improve existing ones. The paragraph mentions specific classes, such as one by Philip D'Amico on video editing techniques and another by Thomas Frank on productivity for creatives. The message emphasizes the value of learning and the wide range of courses available on Skillshare, from photography to business, and invites viewers to take advantage of the free trial to explore their interests.

Keywords

💡Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning community offering thousands of courses across various disciplines, from photography to business. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as a sponsor, and the video creator encourages viewers to take advantage of a free trial to explore courses that can help them learn new skills or improve existing ones.

💡The Animals

The Animals were an emerging rock band in 1964 known for their rendition of 'The House of the Rising Sun.' In the video, they are highlighted for their unique approach to opening for Chuck Berry, choosing to perform a song that would later become iconic, showcasing their ability to captivate audiences with a different style rather than trying to out-rock a legend.

💡Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry is referred to as an 'original rock star' and a 'pioneer' in the video, indicating his significant influence and status in the history of rock music. The Animals' decision to open for him underscores the importance of such an opportunity for an up-and-coming band.

💡The House of the Rising Sun

This is the central theme of the video, a song that has been covered by numerous artists across various genres. The video delves into the song's origins, its different interpretations, and its enduring appeal. It is described as one of the most performed songs in music history, with a rich history and multiple potential meanings, making it a cornerstone of American folk history.

💡Folk Music

Folk music is a genre that plays a significant role in the video's narrative, as 'The House of the Rising Sun' is deeply rooted in folk traditions. The video discusses how folk music was spread through traveling musicians and how it evolved with each new performance, contributing to the song's diverse interpretations over time.

💡Alan Lomax

Alan Lomax is mentioned as an ethnomusicologist who made significant contributions to the documentation and popularization of American folk music. His field recordings, including one with Georgia Turner, helped to bring 'The House of the Rising Sun' into the American musical zeitgeist, influencing future generations of musicians.

💡Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is noted for his influential version of 'The House of the Rising Sun,' which helped shape the song as it is recognized today. His rendition, along with that of Dave Van Ronk, played a crucial role in the song's resurgence and its adoption by other artists, including The Animals.

💡Dave Van Ronk

Dave Van Ronk is highlighted for his arrangement of 'The House of the Rising Sun,' which was borrowed by Bob Dylan and later popularized by The Animals. Van Ronk's interpretation and the controversy surrounding the song's arrangement are discussed as part of the song's complex history.

💡Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village is mentioned as a hub for the folk music revival in the 1960s. It was a place where artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performed, and where 'The House of the Rising Sun' continued to evolve and gain popularity among a new generation of musicians.

💡Folk Music Revival

The folk music revival in the 1960s is a key context for understanding the resurgence of 'The House of the Rising Sun.' The video discusses how this movement in Greenwich Village helped to popularize the song, with artists like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan contributing to its widespread recognition.

💡Vice

Vice is a recurring theme in the various interpretations of 'The House of the Rising Sun.' The video suggests that the song's enduring appeal lies in its representation of a place of vice, darkness, and foreboding, resonating with a universal fear and the human tendency to be drawn to one's own demise.

Highlights

The Animals, a rock band, opened for Chuck Berry by singing 'House of the Rising Sun', a song with a rich history.

The song 'House of the Rising Sun' has been performed in various genres, making it one of the most performed songs in music history.

The origins of 'House of the Rising Sun' are traced back to rural Appalachian folk songs.

The earliest written version of the song dates back to 1925, titled 'Rising Sun'.

Clarence Tom Ashley recorded one of the oldest surviving versions of the song, reflecting his own life as a rambler.

The song's origins may be linked to the English ballad 'The Unfortunate Rake' from the 16th century.

Alan Lomax, an ethnomusicologist, contributed to the song's popularity through his field recordings.

Georgia Turner's version of the song focuses on drinking and the return to New Orleans to wear a 'ball and chain'.

The term 'House of the Rising Sun' was historically used to refer to pubs in England.

In 19th century New Orleans, there was an establishment called the Rising Sun, possibly connected to the song.

Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, influential folk artists, incorporated the song into their repertoire.

Bob Dylan's version of the song helped shape the modern recognition of 'House of the Rising Sun'.

Dave Van Ronk's arrangement of the song influenced Dylan's rendition and was later covered by The Animals.

The Animals' electrified version of 'House of the Rising Sun' became a transatlantic hit in 1964.

The song's meaning varies among artists, with interpretations ranging from a jail to a brothel.

The 'House of the Rising Sun' represents a universal fear of vice and the lure of self-destructive behaviors.

Skillshare offers a variety of courses, including video editing and productivity for creatives.

Transcripts

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in may 1964 an emerging rock band called

the animals got the opportunity that

every upstart group dreams of

they got a chance to open for the

original rock star chuck berry

but how does one go about opening for a

pioneer and a legend like chuck berry as

animal's frontman eric burden put it i

realized one thing you can't out rock

chuck berry

so the animals went for a different

approach

eric burden took the stage under a

single red spotlight and sang 12 of the

most iconic words in music history

there is a house in new orleans they

call the rising sun

of course eric burden was far from the

first to sing that phrase over the past

century and more those 12 words have

captured the imagination of hundreds of

artists house of the rising sun has

become one of the single most performed

songs in music history with renditions

in every genre you can think of from

metal to reggae to disco but through all

of these versions there's been one oft

debated question

what exactly is the house of the rising

sun common wisdom suggests it's a

brothel but it's also been said to be a

gambling den a prison or even a pub

it's been described as an abstract

metaphor but also a reference to real

historical places and with all of its

rich history and myriad potential

meanings the house of the rising sun has

become a key piece of music mythology

and a cornerstone of america's folk

history

let's take a closer look

to find the origins of house of the

rising sun we need to look back

way back

the song was likely born from the rural

appalachian hills in the days before

radio

at that time music communities were

largely insular made up of folk songs

sung within families churches and small

communities

these songs would only spread through

traveling musicians and medicine shows

where snake oil salesmen would use the

songs to drum up interest and pedal

their wares the musicians in these shows

would pick up bits and pieces of songs

as they traveled adding verses and

changing words to suit each new location

as a result it's impossible to pinpoint

the original author or the exact lyrics

of house of the rising sun

in the earliest written version from

1925

the song was simply titled rising sun

and it was written from the perspective

of a poor woman eight years later a

traveling musician named clarence tom

ashley recorded the oldest version that

still survives to this day

in his the story follows a male rambler

mirroring ashley's own life

[Music]

speaking on the song years later ashley

said that he got it off his grandparents

adding it's too old to talk about

and ashley may have been more right than

he knew

some music historians traced the origin

of rising sun back to an archetype of

english ballad known as the unfortunate

rake the unfortunate rake is a lament

about a life lived in sin and it can be

traced back to the middle of the 16th

century another theory came from

historian alan lomax who thought that

rising sun had more in common with a

song called maddie groves which dates

back as early as 1613

and whatever the song's roots were it

would be lomax himself who planted it

into american popular culture lomax was

an

ethnomusicologist who made hundreds of

field recordings of folk music from the

20th century for the archive of american

folk song at the library of congress

these recording sessions captured the

foundations of the american folk and

blues traditions and ended up

influencing generations of american

musicians to come one of these

recordings was a 1937 session with

georgia turner

[Music]

her version returns to a female

perspective but is actually light on

references to the rising sun itself

the most common theme in her version is

drinking

[Music]

her sweetheart is a drunkard only

satisfied when drunk and the poor girl

is returning to new orleans to wear a

ball and chain

if the ball and chain is metaphorical

this could make the rising sun itself a

pub this interpretation fits with the

english heritage house of the rising sun

was an archaic english term for public

houses or as we now know them today pubs

but the house of the rising sun isn't

singing generally about any pub it seems

to be singing about a specific pub in

new orleans and in the 19th century

there actually was an establishment in

new orleans called the rising sun

it advertised in the 1860s as a

restaurant and a coffee house and at the

time new orleans businesses listed as

coffee houses often also sold alcoholic

drinks

so is that pub what georgia turner was

singing about well it's unclear lomax

never spoke about the specifics of the

recording session but he did write that

the song was unique to him at the time

this seems to suggest it was the first

time lomax heard the song but it

certainly wouldn't be the last

based in greenwich village new york

lomax would share his recordings with a

new generation of folk artists like

woody guthrie and pete seeger both

artists worked it into their repertoire

and eventually recorded their own

versions

woody guthrie's has a bit more of an

upbeat tilt to it while pete seeger's

was darker and foreboding driven by his

iconic banjo

[Music]

alan lomax believed that folklore

flourished when it was adopted by many

cultures and traditions and house of the

rising sun proved the rule

his recordings helped the song enter the

zeitgeist of american music where it

began to

[Music]

the song's lamenting lyrics and roots in

american folklore meant it resonated

with black musicians

12 string virtuoso lad belly recorded

the song twice in one version it's an

upbeat blues with ledbelly singing the

part of the down on his luck rambler

[Music]

in another version he recorded his wife

sings and plays the part of the poor

girl

[Music]

and after these early versions the

legacy of the song continued to grow

by the time the 1960s rolled round the

song was fast becoming a standard

nina simone recorded a live performance

of the song in 1962 released on the

album live at the village gate

[Music]

while that version is a slow dirge she

would also display the versatility of

the song when she recorded it again on

her 1967 album nina simone sings the

blues

[Music]

nina simone's takes on the song were

part of a broader movement that was

happening around her in greenwich

village the folk music revival at the

start of the decade joan baez recorded a

slow haunting version and it became a

staple of the scene after that

and perhaps the most notable version to

come out of that greenwich scene was a

version performed by a 20 year old folk

singer who went by the name bob dylan

there is a house

down in new orleans

[Music]

it's in this dylan version that the song

as you likely recognize it today really

comes into shape

his lyrics sing from the perspective of

a young woman and his vocal performance

is just as haunting as georgia turner's

but his version featured a novel chord

progression for the song though it

wasn't one he came up with himself dylan

borrowed his chord progression from a

close friend dave van ronk who would

record his own version in 1964

[Music]

she's so slow

and not only did van ronk record and

arrange the song he actually had his own

theory about what the titular house of

the rising sun was

in van ronk's mind it was a woman's

prison he claimed to have seen a photo

of a foreboding stone doorway with a

carving on the lintel of a stylized

rising sun

it was the orleans parish woman's prison

[Music]

vanronk's arrangement of the song

performed by dylan helped it grow to be

a hit before too long van ronk found

himself accused of copying the

arrangement of rising sun from dylan's

album

i had to stop singing the song fan wrong

said now that was very very annoying but

i couldn't blame that on him

it was this dylan version that brought

the song back across the atlantic to the

very country where it might have had its

earliest roots

as a traditional folk song house of the

rising sun was in the public domain and

thus it was easy for the animals to put

their own spin on it when they were

looking for something to wow their

audience

they took the chords from the vanronk

arrangement but decided to electrify

them and break them down into an ominous

set of arpeggios

the animals also changed the time

signature from a standard 4-4 beat into

6-8 time which helped lend the tune more

urgency their lyrics are similar to

dylan's arrangement but with the

perspective

[Music]

he was tapping into his own lived

experience he had been born to a lower

middle class family in an english mining

town and at 17 he ran away to paris

where he hung out near bordellos an

experience that he said helped his

research for the song this lends

credence to the theory that the song is

talking about a brothel and that theory

has a new orleans connection as well

there was a small short-lived rising sun

hotel in the french quarter which burned

down in 1822

in a recent search archaeologists found

an unusual amount of rouge pots and

cosmetics on site as well as some

advertisements that may have

euphemistically indicated prostitution

for the animals house of the rising sun

was an instant sensation

it was so well received on tour that

they decided to record it only nine days

after its debut

between tour stops the group popped into

a london recording studio and pounded

out the single version in one take this

version made house of the rising sun a

transatlantic hit it reached the top of

the uk singles chart in july 1964 and

topped the us charts two months later

according to animals drummer john steele

bob dylan told him that when he first

heard the animals version on his car

radio he stopped to listen jumped out of

his car and banged on the bonnet the

song even provided part of the impetus

for dylan to go electric and for dylan

the song came full circle like vanronk

before him the popularity of the

animal's version eclipsed his own and

dylan began to face his own accusations

of theft and after the animals version

the song was truly in the pop music

zeitgeist for the next 50 years hundreds

more artists would cover it each putting

their own spin on it but all of these

disparate versions hold one commonality

the house of the rising sun

so then what is the house for every

artist there's a different answer it's a

jail and a gambling house a brothel and

a pub changing depending on who's

singing the words

but whether it's a rambler a gambler a

prostitute or a pauper 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

what's important isn't the specifics of

the house it's what the house represents

the house exists for the protagonist and

always will

haunting and beckoning them

tempting them to fall back into their

own demise

and that's why i think it's resonated so

hard through all of its different

versions

it speaks to a universal fear

that we all hold

so long as any vice has its grip on our

hearts the house of the rising sun could

be round any corner for all of us

patiently waiting for the moment when

we're at our most desperate most

vulnerable so it can lure us in and call

us back to our demise

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