Page Jumps Demonstration

House of the Rising Son

verse one
verse two
verse three
verse four
verse five
verse six
verse seven
verse eight
verse nine

Many verses are missing from every modern recording I’ve heard. I blame the Animals for both keeping this song alive and cutting out more than half of it. Alan Lomax collected most of the verses below. There are different versions of even his collected lyrics, so I offered options when the two Alan Lomax versions I found varied significantly. Other people collected other versions, but I couldn’t quickly find those lyrics. I once had an old songbook with three distinct versions, all dating to the 1920s (or possibly earlier). I wish I could find that book again.

1

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, for one.
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2

My mother she was a tailor,
She sewed those new blue jeans,
My sweet heart, he was a gambling man,
Down in New Orleans.
or
My mother she’s a tailor,
She sold those new blue jeans,
My sweetheart, he’s a drunkard, Lord, Lord,
Drinks down in New Orleans.
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3

He filled his glass up to the brim,
He passed his cards around,
And the only pleasure he got out of life,
Was rambling from town to town.
or
Fills his glasses to the brim,
Passes them around.
The only pleasure he gets out of life
Is hoboin’ from town to town.
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4

Now the only thing a gambler needs,
Is a suitcase and a trunk,
And the only time that he’s satisfied,
Is when he’s on a drunk.
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5

If I had listened what mama said,
I’d ’a’ be at home today,
Being so young and foolish, poor boy,
Let a rambler lead me astray.
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6

Go tell my baby sister,
Never do what I have done,
But shun that house in New Orleans,
They call the Rising Sun.
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7

It’s one foot on the platform,
And the other foot on the train,
I’m going back to New Orleans,
To wear the ball and chain.
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8

Going back to New Orleans,
My race is almost run,
I’m going back to spend my life
Beneath the Rising Sun.
or
I’m going back to New Orleans,
For me my time is done,
I’m going to spend the rest of my life
In that House of that Rising Sun.
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9

There is a house in New Orleans,
Down in the Vieux Carré,
It’s called the House of the Rising Sun,
Where love and money are made.
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