Is/Was There Really a "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.

You can listen to their version here.

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."