There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun,
And it's been the ruin for many a poor boy,
And God, I know I'm one.
My mother was a tailor,
Sewed my new blue jeans.
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans.
Now, the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk,
And the only time he'll be satisfied
Is when he's all a drunk.
Oh, Mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done,
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the house of the Rising Sun.
Well, I've got one foot on the platform,
The other foot on the train.
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain.
Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun,
And it's been the ruin for many a poor boy,
And God, I know I'm one.
They call the Rising Sun,
And it's been the ruin for many a poor boy,
And God, I know I'm one.
My mother was a tailor,
Sewed my new blue jeans.
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans.
Now, the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk,
And the only time he'll be satisfied
Is when he's all a drunk.
Oh, Mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done,
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the house of the Rising Sun.
Well, I've got one foot on the platform,
The other foot on the train.
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain.
Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun,
And it's been the ruin for many a poor boy,
And God, I know I'm one.
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
If not, this song is one of my favorites.
And it's been the ruin of many a poor Boy,
and God I know I'm one." is meaning that he blew all his money at the Risining Sun and probably obtained that behaviour from his father, because this line ?My father was a gamblin' man.
Down in New Orleans." is either meaning he was actually gambling or he was also someone who went to the Rising Sun
It exists a French version of the song which is about a prison. Its name is "Les portes du pénitencier".
In Engnlish, the lyrics are :
"the gates of the prison will soon be closed
that will be where I'm going to finish my life
as other guys did.
For me, my mother gave her wedding dress
Can you ever forgive me
I've made you cry too much
The sun isn't made for us
That's during the night that we can cheat.
You, who lost everything tonight
You can win tomorrow
O mothers listen to me
Never let your boys hanging around on the streets at night
or they'll end up in prison
You, the girl who loved me
I made you cry too much
The tears of shame you shed
You have to forget them"