Behind The Song Lyrics: House of the Rising Sun, The Animals

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• 'Black Twitter: A People’s History'
• Nathan Salsburg: A Kentucky Folklorist Turns To His Own Story
• Q: What makes House of the Rising Sun a timeless classic?
• Behind the Meaning of Elle King’s Irreverent “Baby Daddy’s Weekend”

These were times when the only practical means of travel across long distances, which sometimes even meant 100 miles or less, was by train. It was also a time when train lines were still largely being built across America, with many workers singing in unison as they laid rail lines into and from various towns. This can be evidenced in many of both Alan Lomax and his father, John’s folk recordings, where dozens of workers can be found singing in unison — and sometimes harmony — to the tune of their hammers hitting railroad spikes. Anthony describes a situation where he found a version of House of the Rising Sun, in Oklahoma. Though the “house” was not the called the Rising Sun but another, more localized infamous establishment, and the lyrics were changed slightly, the song was nonetheless obviously of the school of the “original”. It was likely the railroads, theorizes Anthony, that would enable some anonymous soul to carry the song from the mountains in the east all the way to the plains in the midwest.

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Keynote Records released one by Josh White in 1942,[27] and Decca Records released one also in 1942 with music by White and the vocals performed by Libby Holman.[28] Holman and White also collaborated on a 1950 release by Mercury Records. White is also credited with having written new words and music that have subsequently been popularized in the versions made by many other later artists. As records became more popular, so did recordings of the House of the Rising Sun. Instead of chance hearing-and-remembering by hand fulls of troubadours, records were common and fairly easy to come by. From the 1940s on, many artists recorded various versions of the song, occasionally under different titles, but generally the same lyrics and chord progressions.

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Holland promised him they’d do it soon — and Stubbs’ first pass hit Number One. Far from the international superstar he’d become, Toronto singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye didn’t even send out photos or do any interviews when he released the first Weeknd album. “I was picturing, like, a loner cowboy runaway,” he told Rolling Stone. Within a year “Old Town Road” was the longest-running Number One song of all time, seeming to sum up eons of American cross-cultural love and theft in just one minute and 53 seconds. A lot of people have sung the song over the years, and there will be a lot that still will sing it. The message in “House of the Rising Sun“ still has relevance today, which is why it is called a timeless song.

'Black Twitter: A People’s History'

The idea for ‘Rhythm Nation’ was you can dance, but we can also do something more intelligent.” When Jam heard Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” at a restaurant, he raced to the studio to sample it. The holy mother of all diss tracks, “You’re So Vain” contains one of the most enduring musical mysteries of all time. Simon previously revealed that actor Warren Beatty inspired the second verse of the song (“Oh, you had me several years ago/When I was still naive”), but speculation abounds regarding the other man (or men) behind the ire. Either way, the track — boasting omnipresent Seventies arranger Paul Buckmaster’s orchestration and Mick Jagger’s background vocals — is pure soft-rock fire.

The Animals facts: Songs, members, break-up and reunions of Eric Burdon's blues rockers - Gold - Gold

The Animals facts: Songs, members, break-up and reunions of Eric Burdon's blues rockers - Gold.

Posted: Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

How Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks Were Separated By A Song

Sunday was the hottest day of the weekend and it was noticeable just how few opportunities for shade there are around the grounds. I'd like to see Stagecoach add similar country-themed art installations, but failing that, perhaps add some infrastructure that provides shade. She wore a yellow poncho-style shirt with long fringe that almost touched the floor, prompting her to say "I've got fringe in low places" for a solid country-music-specific joke. Other sources suggest that the “Rising Sun” originated from France, and referred to a decorative use of sunburst insignia dating all the way back to Louis XIV; it could have been brought to North America by French immigrants. Matt Marshall is the original publisher of American Blues Scene and owns Bluescentric.com the shop for Blues, Soul, and Rock n Roll -- authentic music t-shirts where every sale pays artist's estates directly.

However, I doubt anyone will ever come close to Eric Burdon’s rendition, which creates the feeling of the tortured soul the song is about. It remains, without a doubt, one of the songs that shaped the 60s and, to some extent, shaped rock music. The use of light and shade and a progressive atmospheric build was innovative. Those vocals, and the essential organ part from Alan Price, lifted this song way above anything else at the time.

Q: What makes House of the Rising Sun a timeless classic?

The song serves as a cautionary tale, exploring the consequences of making sinful choices. The Rising Sun in the song serves as a metaphorical representation of a place of corruption and moral decay. It symbolizes the protagonist’s descent into a life of vice and self-destruction. The Rising Sun can also be seen as a warning, showcasing the consequences of one’s actions and the potential for redemption. Today, we’re bringing you another entry in American Blues Scene’s exclusive “Brief History of a Song” series.

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. Released as the first single from Appetite for Destruction, “Welcome to the Jungle” stiffed at first — it took the massive crossover success of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” to ready radio for GN’R at their most unvarnished. The song’s inspiration, according to Axl Rose, was a hitchhiking trip that landed him in the Bronx, where a stranger approached him and said, “You know were you are? While there is no specific true story behind the song, House of the Rising Sun draws inspiration from the themes and experiences common in the world of addiction, regret, and lost opportunities.

By the early 1960s, the song had become one of my signature pieces, and I could hardly get off the stage without doing it.” A young Dylan watched him play a great many times. Croaking in a voice beyond his years, he makes the misery of fall from grace seem singalong. Ultimately, Dylan only played the classic song live eight times and only twice in the ’60s. It is believed that this rare recording took place either on April 12th or April 18th, 1963, although the exact date is disputed. It sees Dylan lend it a fingerpicking style, and he imbues it with a befitting careworn atmosphere. This profound new atmosphere he painted upon the track helped to kickstart the notion of authenticity in blues and folk.

To date, there are many renditions of the song, from Bob Dylan to Dolly Parton and Dave Van Ronk. One night that same Dylan entered the bar and sheepishly sat with Van Ronk after a recording session with Columbia. “‘Hey, would it be okay for me to record your arrangement of ‘House of the Rising Sun? “‘Jeez, Bobby, I’m going into the studio to do that myself in a few weeks. I did not like the sound of that.” It was a sound that said, ‘I’ve already done it’. He changed the sound “by altering the chords and using a bass line that descended in half steps—a common enough progression in jazz, but unusual among folksingers.

The song touches on universal themes and emotions that resonate with listeners across generations. Its haunting atmosphere and powerful vocals make it a standout track that continues to captivate audiences to this day. “The House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional folk ballad about a person’s life going wrong in New Orleans, with different versions using various narratives with the same themes. Burdon then lets rip with all the emotion and anguish he can muster for that last verse as he pummels our senses. The song then tapers off to a gentle ending, with Alan Price again taking the lead.

One of the original versions reverses the genders and is about a woman who has no option but to return to that sort of life. There are far too many versions of “House of the Rising Sun” to list them all. But, a few notable recordings are Leadbelly from 1948, Joan Baez from 1960, and Bob Dylan from 1962. Both the Joan Baez and Dylan versions were included on their first albums, which were both very folk-oriented.

By the time the ’60s rolled around, the folk legend Dave Van Ronk included an intense take on “House of the Rising Sun” as a steady part of his live repertoire. His young acolyte Bob Dylan largely mimicked Van Ronk’s arrangement of the song and included it on his debut album. Across the pond at around the same time, Burdon apparently heard the song from a local folk singer in England. Burdon brought it into the Animals, who electrified the song for their 1964 self-titled debut album. Hilton Valentine played the stoic arpeggiated guitar part that foundations the song, while Alan Price tore into the organ solo as if trying to free every tortured soul trapped in this sinister place.