# Best version of "House of the Rising Sun"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733 "2003-10-21T16:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaPearl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@DaPearl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaPearl)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/1 "2003-10-21T16:53:47Z")
It seems like there are hundreds of covers of this song. For me, I gotta go with The Doors’ version. Just something about Jim Morrison singing it that makes it better than anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/2 "2003-10-21T16:58:13Z")
Maybe it’s because it was the first version I heard, but The Weavers’ version was my favorite. Next would be The Animals, even though they took some serious liberties with the music. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/3 "2003-10-21T17:09:03Z")
My favorite, by a longshot, is Snakefarm’s. Anna Domino is a god. ---
**Author:** ![blanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@blanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blanx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/4 "2003-10-21T17:35:17Z")
Blind Boys of Alabama doing Amazing Grace to the tune of House of the Rising Sun. So groovy, and cool. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/5 "2003-10-21T20:02:19Z")
Andy Griffith No kidding. It’s on **Golden Throats, Vol. I** The lyrics are so changed that the song is about — well, it’s about nothing, as far as I can tell. Certainly not about anything as sordid as a bordello. A surreal experience. ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/6 "2003-10-21T20:33:01Z")
Roscoe Holcomb’s. ---
**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/7 "2003-10-21T21:23:49Z")
Mike Auldridge’s dobro instrumental. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/8 "2003-10-21T22:34:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Roscoe Holcomb’s. I was gonna pop in here and say Holcomb’s, sure that no one would have beaten me to a relatively obscure version like that. But **hell** yes. Good Lord, his version is spine-tingling. Failing that, Nina Simone’s house-rockin’ version. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/9 "2003-10-22T01:42:19Z")
I’m going to be unimaginative and go with the Animals. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/10 "2003-10-22T01:44:02Z")
The best version is by the Twisted Christmas people. They sing it with the words of Oh Little Town of Bethleham. It’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/11 "2003-10-22T02:12:56Z")
No, no, no you Philistines. The best, never to be bettered, rendition of _House of the Rising Sun_ was by Joan Baez in one of her Vanguard albums in the early sixties. It only beats the Weavers by a little bit. The first time I heard that pure soprano of her’s my breath caught in my throat. It was like chugging a shot of cold gin–that pure and sharp. Oh, Lord, to be eighteen again and to hear that lovely voice for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![somethingblue2u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@somethingblue2u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somethingblue2u)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/12 "2003-10-22T03:39:29Z")
Tori Amos ---
**Author:** ![Granuaile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecccb3/32.png) [@Granuaile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Granuaile)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/13 "2003-10-22T04:29:26Z")
Sinead O’Connor Her version is a little more creepy than melancholy. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/14 "2003-10-22T05:43:55Z")
Frijid Pink. Much as I love the Animals, this amped-up, fuzzed-out version puts shivers down my spine. Elicits more anguish than self-pity, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/15 "2003-10-22T10:28:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > \*\*No, no, no you Philistines. > > The best, never to be bettered, rendition of _House of the Rising Sun_ was by Joan Baez in one of her Vanguard albums in the early sixties. It only beats the Weavers by a little bit. The first time I heard that pure soprano of her’s my breath caught in my throat. It was like chugging a shot of cold gin–that pure and sharp. Oh, Lord, to be eighteen again and to hear that lovely voice for the first time. \*\* Yes! Also, I always felt male singers doing this one was just a bit odd… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/16 "2003-10-22T10:39:13Z")
My highschool band, **Fat Man’s Fridge** , we rocked!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/17 "2003-10-23T03:59:03Z")
Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/18 "2003-10-23T04:08:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\* > Failing that, Nina Simone’s house-rockin’ version. \*\* I too have to give points to Ms. Simone for her surprisingly upbeat treatment of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/19 "2003-10-23T05:09:34Z")
I vote for Dylan also. If you didn’t know what the song was about, you’d not get a clue from the Animals’ version. Best parody: 5.01 - named for an infamous freshman chemistry class that I never had to take 🙂 \*There is a course, at MIT They call it 5.01 (pronounced five oh one) It’s been the ruin of many a poor tool Lord, I know I’m one \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-version-of-house-of-the-rising-sun/208733/20 "2003-10-23T07:59:28Z")
I’m currently enjoying \*\* The Be Good Tanyas \*\* version. I do love them.