The Animals version.
Oh mothers tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun
I know that in the standard versions of the song it’s about a woman who apparently was a prostitute. Who was very ashamed of what she did.
But the Animals changed it to a man. What was it he was supposd to have done? I don’t see a clue at all in the song.
He was supposed to have slept with a prostitute. This works as a good guilt trip thanks to our culture of sexual shame. Doc Watson does a a cover of it where he sings as a man. Part of the beauty of the song that it works both ways.
Here’s a staff report on the subject:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrisingson.html
Not just slept with a prostitute, frequented the House of the Rising Sun.
So visiting a brothel leads to the ball and chain?
Kinky. 
That costs extra.
Another explanation is that The House of the Rising Sun is a place one goes to secure illegal drugs - a forerunner to the crack house.
It explains the ball and chain line - s/he becomes addicted to drugs.
I would venture that he changed some words to reflect a male narrator because he was male, and had no intent beyond that to change the meaning or to make the song’s story actually apply to a male. Probably just liked the tune.