Many are familiar with The Animals hit song House of the Rising Sun, which has its origins in English folk ballads that date back centuries.
The Animals’ version is instantly recognizably with its round chord progression in A minor and has since been covered numerous times, most notably by Dolly Parton.
Origins
House of the Rising Sun’s origins are mysterious; it may be inspired by an actual event, but more likely multiple incidents combined together are to blame. But no matter its source, House of Rising Sun has become one of the most iconic and timeless folk songs ever composed, recorded by artists including Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and Dolly Parton among many others.
Dave Van Ronk first arranged this song and later Bob Dylan used it in his early recordings. Eric Burdon included it on The Animals debut album with them adapting it for rock use – marking the first time that rock rhythms had ever been applied to folk songs.
Since its debut, this song has become an enduring anthem across every musical genre and generation of people. Its power stems from being more than just a song: it tells an engaging narrative about our shared human experiences.
Lyrics
House of the Rising Sun by Georgia Turner and Bert Martin serves as a warning about prostitution in New Orleans. Although its origins remain uncertain, House of the Rising Sun could possibly be composed from multiple folk songs combined together over time. First popularly performed by The Animals in 1964 recording, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie were also familiar with its tune.
Hilton Valentine is well known for his iconic guitar intro that sets the mood for this timeless rock classic, playing his Gretsch Tennessean and repeating its chord progression to create tension much like in an Alfred Hitchcock film. Members receive an exact note-for-note transcription and TAB as well as video lessons showing you how to properly strum chords – something often neglected when learning this piece with rhythm section accompaniment.
Chords
Playing songs comes in various forms and each will have their own distinctive sound. For instance, picking will produce an entirely different tone than using fingers. House of the Rising Sun chords can also be played differently to create different emotions in its performance.
One way of playing the song is with a pattern characterized by “two feel”, meaning each measure comprises of two groups of six eighth notes in two measures.
This style of pattern works well when played both with a guitar pick and your fingertips. Be as precise as possible in the rhythm so all of the beats fall together perfectly for an authentic sound and professional song performance. Try different patterns until you find ones that work for you; this may also provide ideas for new songs!
Keys
House of the Rising Sun is an example of a song which draws from multiple scales to compose its chords. Its opening chord, Am, fits within A minor (A Natural Minor or Aeolian Mode). D and E chords require notes from other scales in order to play properly – D chord is built off A Dorian Mode while E chord needs an F# note from A Harmonic Minor Scale (A B C D F# G).
Hilton Valentine was playing guitar for a local band known as Alan Price Combo when he recorded House of the Rising Sun; his rendition made the group an international phenomenon during its early 60s tour.
The song serves as a cautionary tale about life in New Orleans, as it recounts an account of a woman living in a bowdyhouse known as The House of the Rising Sun. This narrative can often be found among folk songs with similar tales being told.