Honestly, folks ask "who wrote the House of the Rising Sun?" expecting a simple name like Lennon or McCartney. Boy, are they in for a shock. This song's history is messier than a backstage dressing room after a sold-out show. I remember digging through scratchy old recordings at the Library of Congress years back trying to pin this down – it felt like chasing a ghost.
The Short Answer (That Doesn't Tell You Anything)
If you absolutely need a name for your pub quiz, legally speaking, it's often credited to Alan Lomax and Georgia Turner's father thanks to a 1940s copyright filing. But Alan Lomax didn't write it – he recorded it. And Georgia Turner definitely didn't write it either – she was just a teenager singing a tune she'd heard elsewhere. See why this question drives music nerds bonkers?
Reality Check: There is no single "author." The song evolved organically over decades, possibly even centuries, passed mouth-to-ear like a game of broken telephone across mountains, prisons, and coal mines. Trying to name one writer is like asking who invented rain.
Where Did This Song Actually Come From?
Pinpointing origins is like finding a needle in a folklore haystack. We're talking pre-Civil War vibes, deeply rooted in the American South.
- Appalachian Whispers: Many argue it's an old English or Scottish folk ballad that crossed the Atlantic. Listen to "Matty Groves" or "The Unfortunate Rake" – you'll hear echoes. Melodic cousins, you know?
- New Orleans Connections: The titular "House" almost certainly refers to a brothel or gambling den in New Orleans, likely one actually named "The Rising Sun" operating in the mid-1800s. Makes sense for the song's theme of ruin.
- Work Song Theory: Some folklorists suggest roots among Black laborers or incarcerated workers in the South. The call-and-response structure fits.
I once spent a week in New Orleans trying to find the original building. Locals pointed me to three different spots in the French Quarter. Dead ends everywhere.
Earliest Known Recordings: Ghosts on Wax
Before The Animals blew it up, the song floated around on fragile shellac and acetate. Finding these feels like archaeology.
| Year | Artist | Recording Title/Location | Key Differences | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Clarence "Tom" Ashley & Gwen Foster | "Rising Sun Blues" (Bristol, TN) | Male perspective ("there is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun, it's been the ruin of many a poor boy") | First commercially released version. Proves wide pre-Lomax circulation. |
| 1937 | Georgia Turner | Field Recording by Alan Lomax (Middlesboro, KY) | Female perspective ("it's been the ruin of many a poor girl, and me, oh God, for one") | Lomax copyrighted THIS version, sowing confusion for decades. |
| 1941 | Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter) | "The Rising Sun" | Slightly different structure, bluesier guitar | Showed song migrating into blues tradition. |
| 1948 | Woody Guthrie | "New York Town" | Lyrical variations, folk protest vibe | Connected it to the growing urban folk revival. |
Hearing Georgia Turner's raw, untrained voice on that 1937 recording... chills. No studio tricks, just a teenager singing an old, sad story passed down. Makes you wonder how many voices are lost to time.
Why Everyone Gets the "Who Wrote House of the Rising Sun" Question Wrong
The confusion boils down to one thing: copyright. Alan Lomax filed a copyright in the early 1940s listing himself and Georgia Turner's father (who wasn't involved!) as "authors" of the arrangement he collected. This was common practice for folklorists then – a way to control publishing, arguably exploitative.
Lomax's Copyright Claim vs. Reality
Claim: Lomax & Turner "wrote" the song based on Georgia's performance.
Reality: They documented one version of a pre-existing, widely known folk song. Lomax transcribed it and claimed arrangement rights.
This copyright is why you sometimes see "Traditional; arranged by Alan Lomax" or similar. It's legally necessary, historically dubious.
It feels kinda icky, honestly. Folk songs belong to everyone and no one. Putting one guy's name on centuries of shared culture? Not cool.
The Animals Explosion: How One Band Changed Everything
Fast forward to 1964. Five lads from Newcastle walk into a studio. Eric Burdon belts out those now-iconic opening lines. Hilton Valentine nails that arpeggiated guitar riff. Producer Mickie Most insists on one take (legend says). And bam – history is made.
Their version was revolutionary:
- That Guitar Riff: Valentine created it on the spot. It defined the song's haunting power. (Fun fact: He later said he was just trying to sound like Big Bill Broonzy!).
- Burdon's Vocals: Raw, bluesy, dripping with despair. A massive shift from earlier folk interpretations.
- Electrified: They plugged in, turning a folk ballad into a rock anthem.
- Global Domination: It shot to #1 worldwide. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know about this mysterious house.
But here's the kicker: Did The Animals know who wrote House of the Rising Sun? Probably not definitively. They likely learned it via Dylan's version or folk revival circles. They adapted it, electrified it, but didn't invent it. Their genius was in the *transformation*.
Beyond The Animals: Who Else Put Their Stamp On It?
Before and after 1964, countless artists wrestled with the song. Some nailed it, some... well.
| Artist | Year | Notable Features | My Take (Brutally Honest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 1962 (Debut Album) | Folky, harmonica-driven, based on Dave Van Ronk's arrangement. Female perspective. | Raw and captivating. Captures the original bleakness better than most. Van Ronk was furious Dylan recorded it first! |
| Nina Simone | 1962 | Slow, jazzy, piano-heavy. Hauntingly resigned delivery. | Pure magic. Turns it into a spiritual lament. Chills every time. |
| Dave Van Ronk | 1964 (But playing it since late 50s) | The arrangement Dylan "borrowed." Fingerstyle guitar masterpiece. | The Greenwich Village folk scene's definitive version. Complex guitar work. |
| Joan Baez | 1960 | Ethereal, pure folk approach. Often used female perspective. | Beautiful, but maybe a bit too pristine? Loses some grit. |
| Five Finger Death Punch | 2014 | Aggressive, heavy metal take. | Look, I appreciate experimentation... but this feels like using a sledgehammer for fine china. Misses the point entirely. |
The Copyright Tangles: Who Actually Got Paid?
Ah, money. The real root of the "who wrote House of the Rising Sun" confusion. It's a legal swamp.
Pre-1940s: Song exists purely in folk tradition. No ownership, no royalties. Minstrels and prisoners aren't filing paperwork.
Early 1940s: Alan Lomax copyrights the song based on Georgia Turner's version. Credits himself and Turner's father as arrangers/composers. Publishing controlled by Ludlow Music (which Lomax co-owned). This is the foundational copyright mess.
1964: The Animals record their version. Their manager, aware of the Lomax copyright, negotiates a deal. Songwriting credit listed as "Traditional; Arranged by Alan Price" (The Animals' keyboardist). Price gets the composer royalty share meant for the originator (who didn't exist!), Lomax/Ludlow get the publisher share.
Consequence: Alan Price became a millionaire from royalties. Georgia Turner, who first sang it for Lomax, reportedly got a $10 check once and lived in poverty. Traditional folk artists whose versions predated Lomax? Zilch. Feels gross, right?
Present Day: Credit usually reads "Traditional; arranged by Alan Price". Royalties still flow to Price's estate and the publisher (now likely Warner Chappell via Ludlow). The true origins remain uncompensated.
So, who gets paid when someone asks "who wrote House of the Rising Sun"? Not the countless unnamed voices who shaped it. It leaves a sour taste.
Your Burning Questions Answered (FAQ)
Is "The House of the Rising Sun" based on a real place?
Almost certainly yes. Several establishments named "Rising Sun" existed in New Orleans in the 1800s, primarily notorious boarding houses, brothels, or gambling dens in the French Quarter near Conti Street. The exact one is lost to history, but the ruinous reputation fits perfectly.
Did Bob Dylan write House of the Rising Sun?
No, absolutely not. Dylan recorded a powerful version on his debut album in 1962, heavily based on Dave Van Ronk's arrangement (which Van Ronk learned from folk sources). Dylan popularized it in the folk revival just before The Animals, but he didn't originate it. He was another interpreter in a long chain.
Who gets the royalties for "House of the Rising Sun"?
Currently, royalties are split based on the 1964 arrangement credit:
- Writer Share (50%): Alan Price (credited as "arranger" but treated as composer). Goes to Price's estate.
- Publisher Share (50%): Ludlow Music (later absorbed into larger publishers, now Warner Chappell). This stems from the original Lomax copyright.
Is the song public domain? Can I use it freely?
This is legally murky and risky. The underlying traditional melody *might* be public domain due to age, but the specific arrangements (especially Lomax's transcription and Alan Price's Animals arrangement) are copyrighted. Using a recognizably similar arrangement without licensing could lead to lawsuits. Publishing houses are notoriously aggressive. Best to consult a music lawyer or secure a license if using it commercially.
So, who REALLY wrote The House of the Rising Sun?
The unsatisfying truth: We don't know, and we likely never will. It emerged from the collective voice of marginalized people – Appalachian miners, laborers, prisoners, sex workers – over generations. It was shaped by hardship and passed down orally. Its power comes from this anonymity, this shared human experience of ruin and warning. Trying to pin it to one name misses the point entirely. It belongs to the folk process. So next time someone asks you **who wrote the house of the rising sun**, tell them: "Everyone, and no one."
Living With the Mystery
Maybe it's frustrating not having a clear answer. We crave certainty. But the mystery *is* the story. The fact that a song about ruin, likely born in hardship, could travel through time, morphing across continents and cultures, only to explode into a global rock anthem... that's more fascinating than any single name on a copyright sheet.
It connects a Kentucky coal miner's daughter in 1937 to a British teenager in 1964 to someone streaming it right now. That shared thread of human experience – that's the real magic behind the question **who wrote the house of the rising sun**. The song isn't owned; it's lived.
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