# House of the rising sun **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167 "2003-05-29T01:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SonOfArizona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SonOfArizona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SonOfArizona)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/1 "2003-05-29T01:54:46Z")
Who originaly created this song? Was it Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Animals, or Led Zepplin. They all have a version of it… ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/2 "2003-05-29T02:11:13Z")
The two versions I have on CD both are attributed to “Traditional” which usually means it’s been around for a while, the original composer/writer is either unknown or tracking him/her down is difficult, and is in the public domain. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/3 "2003-05-29T02:16:36Z")
The two versions I have on CD both are attributed to “Traditional” which usually means it’s been around for a while, the original composer/writer is either unknown or tracking him/her down is difficult, and is in the public domain. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/4 "2003-05-29T02:24:00Z")
The two versions I have on CD both are attributed to “Traditional” which usually means it’s been around for a while, the original composer/writer is either unknown or tracking him/her down is difficult, and is in the public domain. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/5 "2003-05-29T02:29:16Z")
I swear that I re-previewed after I got a “Server Not Responding” error and my first post wasn’t there! Really! Damn! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/6 "2003-05-29T02:29:17Z")
I guess Swede Hollow is really confident in his/her answer! 😉 Fortunately for us, Cecil wrote [a column](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrisingson.html) on this subject not too long ago. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/7 "2003-05-29T02:44:57Z")
I’ve also heard a version by Andy Griffith. It was disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/8 "2003-05-29T02:56:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*I guess Swede Hollow is really confident in his/her answer! 😉 > Fortunately for us, Cecil wrote > [a column](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrisingson.html) on this subject not too long ago. 🆒 \*\* Songbird wrote that column not Unca Cece. I know he would want credit where credit is due. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/9 "2003-05-29T05:22:45Z")
Right you are. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/10 "2003-05-29T06:07:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tengu \* > \*\*I’ve also heard a version by Andy Griffith. > > It was disturbing. \*\* _Ooooh!_ I have _got_ to hear that! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/11 "2003-05-30T03:43:33Z")
It’s on an album called Golden Throats, Tuckerfan. Remember, though: You’ve been warned. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/12 "2003-05-30T04:28:35Z")
Anyone have a cite on the fact that “House” was originally written from a female perspective? A bandmate of mine trotted out such a version once. It made a lot of sense. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/13 "2003-05-30T04:46:51Z")
I believe an old blues song from the South. Like many British groups, they dug up an obscure tune & introduced it to the young white crowd… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/14 "2003-05-30T05:00:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*Anyone have a cite on the fact that “House” was originally written from a female perspective? A bandmate of mine trotted out such a version once. It made a lot of sense. \*\* It is a traditional song of uncertain origin, so it’s hard to say that it was “originally” anything. But the first known recorded version was performed by a young woman, it has certainly been sung by many women over the years, and most versions of the song have lyrics indicate a female narrator. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/15 "2003-05-30T05:36:53Z")
I was just in New Orleans this Memorial Day weekend, and the tour guide there told us it was the Animals. But he also let me jaw him down to $23 for a $50 tour, so who knows what he knew!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/16 "2003-05-30T05:48:05Z")
They definitely didn’t create the song. Then again, Zeppelin didn’t come up with many of their ‘originals,’ either. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/17 "2003-05-30T06:23:15Z")
I have an Almanac Singers album that has Woody Guthrie singing it in the early 40’s. It is clearly from a womans point of view. Oddly enough, the other song with Woody as the lead singer on the album, also is from the perspective of woman. Makes you wonder. They sound great though. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/18 "2003-05-30T07:31:05Z")
Fortunately, the song still makes sense with a male narrator. Instead of a woman who becomes a prostitute, the song becomes the story of a guy who becomes enamored of a prostitute and spends all his money on her even though she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/19 "2003-05-30T16:00:28Z")
Lomax (one of the leading American musicologists of folk music) states that it is a traditional song probably from the mid 1800s. Doc Watson’s version is good and pretty straight forward. The Be Good Tanyas do a more bluegrassy version that is a lot more sensual. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/20 "2003-05-30T17:24:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*They definitely didn’t create the song. Then again, Zeppelin didn’t come up with many of their ‘originals,’ either. 😉 \*\* Squeeze my Lemon, till the juice runs down my leg! * * * Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167.md?page=2)