The history of House of the Rising Sun
In the summer of 1964, a young folk singer was driving in his car when suddenly heard a song played in the radio that was so powerful that made him immediately stop. The magic in the song itself was not only because it was so wonderful to hear but also due to the fact that it wasn’t a original one. It had already been recorded it. By him.
His name was Bob Dylan. And the song mentioned was “House of the Rising Sun”. The authors of this new version were the english band The Animals that transform this already existed hit into a massive and unexpected success.
But this isn’t a story about plagiarism. Dylan wasn’t the original composer. This song already existed before he was even born. In fact, to this day, nobody knows where it came from.
Many theories has surface. There are the ones who believe that it came from broadside ballads and has similarities with “The Unfortunate Rake”, a 16th-century song. The musicologist Alan Lomax didn’t had the same opinion. To him, “House of the Rising Sun” was inspired by the 1613 ballad “Matty Groves”.
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The first recorded occurred in 1933 and was performed by the appalachian artists Clarence Tom Ashley and Gwen Foster. A few years later, Georgia Tunner came up with her interpretation and changed the lycris to a woman’s pont of view where she need to return home and deal with her alcoholic love interested. Tunner’s version became popular among other folks artists. Leadbelly was one of them. He recorded two versions. The first one was called “In New Orleans”. In the second, he invited his wife to participate and choosed a slower and melancholic tune.
Almost two decades later, Bob Dylan played his adaptation that became a hit. But in a few years, it would be the talent of five boys that would change the song’s legacy forever.
During a tour with Chuck Berry, the band lead by Eric Burdon felt the urge to come up with something interesting enough to perform. And they definitely found it. The quintet opted for a more dramatic and intense tone. It was an instantly success to the point that, after the show, people were talking about The Animals instead of Chuck Berry. It didn’t took much to decide that it was their time to record. Only one take was necessary to achieve perfection. The song’s popularity increse not only because of the radio but also also due to their performance in a television program called “Ready, Steady, Go!”.
Over the years, many artists created their versions. The song and the mystery that holds still enchants listeners.
Because one question remains: what is the Rising Sun? A pub? A brothel? A prison? A gambiling house? Each version dictates what could be. Nobody was never able to tell and probably this will be a secret forever.
