“The House of the Rising Sun”

Description

The singer laments, "There is a house in New Orleans / They call the Rising Sun / It's been the ruin of many a poor girl / And me, O God, I'm one." She tells of her troubled childhood, laments that she cannot escape her life, and warns others against it

Notes

Legman offers extensive, if rambling, notes in Randolph-Legman I. - EC

While this song is generally associated in the public mind with African-American tradition, it clearly circulated in the Anglo-American community extensively; Clarence Ashley said he learned it from his grandmother. - PJS

Tex Alexander in 1928 recorded a song with the "Rising Sun" title, which we took for a time to be the earliest reference. But Mark R. Fletcher sends me information making it clear that this is a different piece with the same name. - RBW

Recordings

• Roy Acuff & his Smoky Mountain Boys, "The Rising Sun" (Vocalion 04909, 1939)
• Almanac Singers, "House of the Rising Sun" (General 5020B, 1941; on Almanac01, Almanac03, AlmanacCD1)
• Clarence Ashley & Doc Watson, "Rising Sun Blues" (on Ashley03, WatsonAshley01)
• [Clarence] Ashley & [Gwen] Foster, "The Rising Sun Blues" (on Vocalion 02576, 1933)
• Homer Callahan, "Rounder's Luck" (Melotone 6-02-59, 1936; rec. 1935)
• Dillard Chandler, "Sport in New Orleans" (on Chandler01)
• Tom Darby & Jimmie Tarlton, "Rising Sun Blues" (Columbia 15701-D, c. 1931)
• Woody Guthrie, "House of the Rising Sun" (on AschRec2)
• Esco Hankins, "The Rising Sun" (King 650, 1947)
• Daw Henson, "The Rising Sun Blues" (AAFS 1508 B2)
• Roscoe Holcomb, "The Rising Sun" [LP] or "House in New Orleans" [CD] (on Holcomb-Ward1, HolcombCD1)
• Bert Martin, "The Rising Sun Blues" (AAFS 1496 B2)
• Pete Seeger, "House of the Rising Sun" (on PeteSeeger18)
• Georgia Turner, "The Rising Sun Blues" (AAFS 1404 A1)

References

1. Randolph-Legman I, pp. 250-253, "The House of the Rising Sun" (5 texts, 1 tune)
2. Lomax-FSNA 151, "The Rising Sun Blues" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. PSeeger-AFB, p. 18, "House Of The Rising Sun" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Silber-FSWB, p. 184, "House Of The Rising Sun" (1 text)
5. DT, HOUSESUN*
6. Roud #6393
7. BI, RL250