# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_E_Dec_Esq)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/21 "2003-05-30T18:53:23Z")
I’m not familiar with Zeppelin version. Is it on one of their albums? I thought I had all of their released recordings. ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/22 "2003-05-31T15:14:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TitoBenito \* > \*\*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. \*\* Bob Dylan’s version (on his debut album from 1962) is also sung from a woman’s point of view (…it’s been the ruin of many a poor girl, and me, dear God, I’m one…). Woody Guthrie’s son Arlo often includes this song in his concert playlists. The Animals version is sung from a man’s point of view. It definitely works either way. There are negative consequences of prostitution, both for the prostitute and the person making use of the prostitute’s services. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/23 "2003-05-31T18:00:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Francis E Dec, Esq \* > \*\*I’m not familiar with Zeppelin version. Is it on one of their albums? I thought I had all of their released recordings. \*\* No Led Zeppelin version is listed on the [All Music Guide](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=CASS80305242004&sql=H545126:3) website, although there are four pages of albums on which “The House of the Rising Sun” has appeared. I figure the Led Zeppelin version is either a bootleg or a Napster-style mistake. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/24 "2003-06-01T01:35:51Z")
I don’t know who wrote it, but I’ve been seriously enjoying a new version by the excellent and wonderful band The Be Good Tanyas. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/25 "2003-06-01T05:41:47Z")
Nina Simone recorded House of the Rising Sun before the Animals. It was thought that they recorded it because of her. It’s got some support on the basis of the fact that after Nina’s version of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood came out, the recorded that as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/26 "2003-06-01T05:42:56Z")
I think “The Blind Boys of Alabama” were the first to sing Amazing Grace to the tune of House of the Rising Sun, but this has also been copied several times. (If you’re interested, there are recordings available on line.) ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/27 "2003-06-01T14:41:52Z")
I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the Joan Baez version recorded in the mid 60’s and released on her first album. Excellent version , very simply sung. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167/28 "2003-06-01T15:16:48Z")
Does done some checking and the Joan Baez disks was released on January 1st 1960 . So that must be one of the earliest (modern ) versions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-rising-sun/178167.md?page=1)