# The House of the Rising Sun **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494 "2004-01-08T20:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/1 "2004-01-08T20:03:08Z")
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. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/2 "2004-01-08T20:21:28Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/3 "2004-01-08T21:15:44Z")
Here’s a staff report on the subject: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrisingson.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrisingson.html) ---
**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:** [January 9, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/4 "2004-01-09T01:46:13Z")
Not just slept with a prostitute, frequented the House of the Rising Sun. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/5 "2004-01-09T02:10:04Z")
So visiting a brothel leads to the ball and chain? ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/6 "2004-01-09T03:37:34Z")
> [@](#): > > So visiting a brothel leads to the ball and chain? Kinky. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/7 "2004-01-09T13:37:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*So visiting a brothel leads to the ball and chain? \*\* That costs extra. ---
**Author:** ![Capri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Capri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capri)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/8 "2004-01-09T14:39:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-house-of-the-rising-sun/223494/9 "2004-01-09T14:44:49Z")
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.