Is/Was There Really a "House of The Rising Sun?"

Image result for house of the rising sun
Many classics get your attention, but some are especially enduring such as The House of The Rising Sun. An original blues classic, let's explore the deeper idea behind it.

The Song Itself:

Contrary to what many may believe, the song was NOT originally recorded by The Animals. In fact, it is an old blues song whose origins date back to the 1930s. It was in September of 1933, during the Great Depression, that two blues artists - Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster recorded a song by the name of Rising Sun Blues

Who exactly wrote the song is still ambigious. From the early 20th century, many iron workers claimed to know a version of the song with these opening lyrics:

There is a house in New Orleans
It's called the Rising Sun.
It's been a ruin of many a poor girl.
And God, I, for one.

Three decades later, The Animals recorded their version in 1964 which is well known. It is one of the versions, Their version, like some others, includes a verse after the lengthy instrumental solo cautioning mothers to tell their children about the storyteller's sins and to avoid that life. It's very possible, from old directories and this then, that the "house" was a jailhouse back in the late 19th century. The Animals' take hit #1 on charts in the UK, US, and France by 1965.


Since its release, the song has been covered by many a famous artists such as Nina Simone (who recorded the ORIGINAL version of Don't Let me be Misunderstood), Santa Esmeralda (who also covered DLMBMU), 

In 1970, little-known Detroit band Frijid Pink released a cover usually mistaken as being by Pink Floyd (they do sound like a high Syd Barrett, I suppose) for their self-title 1970 album. Other covers include S'nead O'Connor, Thin Lizzy and Bachman Turner Overdrive (instrumentals), and Dolly Parton.

On how to play, by the way, it's Am-C-F-G-Am-E-Am-E

So where IS that "house?!"

Now folks comes the $1,000,000 question, WHAT is that house and WHERE is it? Well, as previously stated, there have been references to it being a jailhouse. However, there are two possible assertions:

Both of these "houses" were around between 1862 and 1874 and are thought to have been named after Madamme Marianne LeSoleil Levant, her surname meaning "the rising sun." One of this was at 1614 Espilande, while the other (which still stands today) at 826-830 St. Louie St. As of the latter, Eric Burdon once said on their visit, "the house appeared to talk to him and there was a sun plague above the stone door." 

There is also a contemporary Bed & Breakfast in New Orleans named the Rising Sun. Its owners, as much as they love the song, have NOTHING to do with it.

Now the bad news:

It's not like me to end a blog post on a negative note, but this time unfortunately, I have to. Pamela D. Arceneaux, at the Research Institute of New Orleans says, and I quote.

"I have made a study of the history of prostitution in New Orleans and have often confronted the perennial question, "Where is the House of the Rising Sun?" without finding a satisfactory answer. Although it is generally assumed that the singer is referring to a brothel, there is actually nothing in the lyrics that indicate that the "house" is a brothel. Many knowledgeable persons have conjectured that a better case can be made for either a gambling hall or a prison; however, to paraphrase Freud: sometimes lyrics are just lyrics."


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Legacy of Davorin Popovich and Indexi

Image
In the former Yugoslavia, there were many successful artists, but one of the most important, and even overlooked sometimes, was a popular band called Indexi (The Indeces). They had an awesome lead singer. The late, great Davorin Popovich today is remembered for has raspy, tenor voice - to me, a bit comparable to Burton Cummings of The Guess Who fame. Over the years, he has earned various nicknames such as Dacho and Pimpek. They were the seeds for other bands. Formed back in 1962, Indexi set the stage for what is now known as the Sarajevo School of Pop Rock - a movement that would live for the next three decades (a la before the Yugoslav wars). Their name, by the way, is the plural of Index - a student's gradebook. Each student was expected to record and maintain their own grades. The core  members, aside from Popovich, consisted of late guitarist Slobodan Bodo Kavachevich and bass player Fadil Redzich (pronounce "dz," like "s" in "risotto)."
Read more

Jimmy Stokley and Exile

Image
  Although of minor significance, today is 35 years since we lostJimmy Stokley of Exile. A little known Kentucky band, Exile is perhaps only known for their 1978 hit Kiss You All Over . In the 80s, the band shifted to more of a country sound, and has not made any noteable chart hits since. A Jagger-like frontman Born James Carr Stokley on October 18, 1943, Stokley joined The Fascinations in 1963, who then became Jimmy Stokley and The Exiles, featuring future Exile guiarist J.P. Penington  Jimmy Stokley and The Exiles, were, towards the end of the decade, shortened to simply The Exiles, before the plural form was dropped in the mid 70s, becoming Exile. Interestingly, Stokley's attire and attitude on stage led to many calling him the American Mick Jagger. One hitters In 1978, Exile issued their LP Mixed Emotions  through Warner Bros. records. The record features the disco-ey hit Kiss You All Over , written by producer Mike Chapman (also notorious for working with Blondie). Despite co
Read more

Bijelo Dugme - Former Yugoslavia's Greatest Rock Band

Image
In today's blog post, we will examine perhaps one of the GREATEST rock bands of the former Yugoslavia. Bijelo Dugme (The White Button), which by sound is largely influenced by the heavy metal likes of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and Sabbath; however in culture, they were most simillar to the Beatles. In fact, there was a Dugmeania in the former Yugoslavia in the late 70s akin to Beatlemania in the US in the 60s. The brainchild of the band was a young man named Goran Bregovich, aka Brega. He was born on 3, 22, 1950 in Sarajevo to a Serbian mother and a Croatian father. At some point, his mother enrolled him into a music school with violin as a chosen instrument, but around twelve he was expelled showing lack of interest. Consequently, his mother bought him a guitar in his early teenage years. Brega's first bands were high school bands. He played bass guitar for Beshtije (The Beasts). At a  br in 1969, Bregovich met Zeljko Bebek who was part of a band called Kodeksi (The Codexes)
Read more