The House of the Rising Sun

[Jim_S]

The House of the Rising Sun is a traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans; many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the same fate. The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by British rock group The Animals, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and also in the United States and France. As a traditional folk song recorded by an electric rock band, it has been described as the "first folk rock hit".

Animals - 1964​

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fy7opKu46c[/ame]

Dollie Parton - 1981​

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSlPldlmVtk[/ame]

Doc Watson - 1999​

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeiXnyvo0d4[/ame]

 

[Jim_S]

Early Recordings

Tom Ashley - 1933​

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=147kS8O59Qs[/ame]

Roy Acuff - 1938​

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDtMpJiXmls[/ame]

Woodie Guthrie - 1941​

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMXxDB2J03U[/ame]