Linsey Dyer 😷🌻🌻🌻

“The House of the Rising Sun” is one of the oldest and most mysterious folk songs in the United States, which became a rock anthem thanks to The Animals in 1964. Its origins are lost in time. It is a traditional American ballad, likely from the 19th century or even earlier, with possible roots in old English ballads. No one knows who wrote it: it is a song of unknown authorship that was passed down orally among folk musicians, miners, travelers, and singers in the southern United States. It tells of a life ruined in New Orleans (Louisiana), at a place called “The House of the Rising Sun,” which many interpret as a brothel, a casino, or a disreputable hotel. Depending on the version, it can be told from the perspective of a woman who falls into prostitution or a man who loses himself to gambling and alcohol. The first known recording dates from 1933–1934, when Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster recorded it. Shortly thereafter, Alan Lomax recorded a 16-year-old girl named Georgia Turner singing it a cappella in Kentucky. Even then, it was called “Rising Sun Blues.” Over time, it was covered by artists such as Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan (on his 1962 debut album). Everything changed in 1964. The Animals, a British band from Newcastle, heard it in Dylan’s version (and also in English folk circles). Eric Burdon and the others adapted it to their style: they gave it a darker, electric, and more powerful rhythm, with Alan Price’s famous organ riff and Burdon’s raspy voice. They recorded it in a single take on May 18, 1964, in just 15 minutes, during a break on their tour. At first, producer Mickie Most hesitated because of its length (over 4 minutes), but it was released as a single and became a massive hit: number 1 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. It is considered one of the first great folk rock songs. Since then, the song has been covered hundreds of times (by Nina Simone, Dolly Parton, Muse, among many others) and continues to be featured in movies, TV shows, and stadiums.