The Rising Sun Blues

(For SoundCloud problems an alternative link is provided at the bottom of the page)

This public domain tune with it’s melody dating back to British 1700's tavern songs and a lyric suggesting a “house of ill repute” has been, in our opinion, too often presented from the male perspective (as started by the Animals in 1964) and/or simply as a pretty folk song. Janice and I attempted, after a lot of lyric research, to re-create (via writing several new verses) what in our opinion was likely the original intention, i.e, the story of a young prostitute. Keeping with the New Orleans setting we arranged and recorded the song with a “jump blues” feel fitting the location. We feel this song has long begged for a more bluesy gritty interpretation and I hope we did it justice.

BTW, here’s a great article on the song’s history including a link to a book written about chasing the song’s origins.
A Brief History of House Of The Rising Sun

EDITED: Additional info regarding the 1700's British origins of the melody:
Notes On House Of The Rising Sun

Some might feel that the piano and/or the sax are too prominent through the song but we were looking for, as mentioned, the 30’s-40’s jump blues sound and those groups tended to play in this manner. Perhaps a better description would be that of a somewhat bawdy sound -- as might have been played in a “house" of that time.

Janice: vocal via Rodes NT1 mic and BlueIcicle USB interface
Bass: 2425 Rockabilly
guitar R: 2436 New Orleans Shuffle
Drums: BluesRockShuffle
Piano R: 2437 New Orleans Shuffle
Piano L: 2123 Country Shuffle (comped from several regens for turnarounds and fills)
Sax: 2134 Blues Shuffle
Bud: production stuff via Logic Pro X and Izotope plug-ins
Photograph: E. J. Bellocq, 1912, New orleans Prostitute, Public Domain.

Thanks to floyd jane, Tommyad, and gruverider for diplomatically steering me away from my original intro and to floyd for suggesting an a cappella approach. As Bob Dylan said “it seemed like a good idea at the time” smile

The Rising Sun Blues
Trad. Arr. © 2016 Janice and Bud Merritt

there is a house in New Orleans

they call the Rising Sun
it's been the ruin of many a poor girl

and me, oh God, I'm one

i could have a good man and family
if I hadn’t fallen into a life of sin
and now I'm working at the house
Just trying to please all them men

mama works all day at the mill

she sews those new blue jeans

and my daddy was a gambler, Lord

he lost his life down in New Orleans

somebody, go tell my baby sister

tell her not to do what I done
stay away from that house

the one they call the Rising Sun

I ain't gonna leave New Orleans

my race is almost run

yeah, I gave up all my young life

beneath, beneath, the rising sun

yeah, I gave up all my young life

beneath, beneath, the rising sun

Alternate Link To Play Song

www.janiceandbud.com

Last edited by Janice & Bud; 01/27/16 05:27 AM.
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