The song was most likely written in the 18th century in England. Prostitution was a common practice then but was still viewed as a lowly profession. This could have possible driven the artist to write the song.
At first listen the song is about someone’s life going wrong in New Orleans, but in England (where the song was thought to have originated) “house of the rising sun” is a euphemism for a brothel. So it could also be about a woman who ruins her life by becoming a prostitute, which would make sense because the song was originally written from the female perspective. The Animals recording of this song sounds like a warning to men, however about gambling and drugs.
The song was wildly successful and went to number one in the UK, US, and Canada. It was number one for three weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is widely considered a classic rock hit. It ranked number 122 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.” In 1999 the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame award and helped The Animals get inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Also to note, because of this song the main vocalist Eric Burdon was ranked 57th in Rolling Stones’ The 100 Greatest Singer of All Time list.
According to the BBC’s Ralph McLean, The Animals version of the song changed modern music forever. While maybe not quite that, the song has made a pretty big impact. It has been featured in countless films and TV shows. It was the first song of the British Invasion (unrelated to the Beatles) to go number one in the US which really solidified the British Invasion as not just a Beatles thing. The song was featured in the recent hit movie Suicide Squad which helped introduce it to a whole new audience. It is also covered in a variety of singing competition shows, such as The Voice where it has been covered over 15 times.
The song was most likely written in the 18th century in England. Prostitution was a common practice then but was still viewed as a lowly profession. This could have possible driven the artist to write the song.
At first listen the song is about someone’s life going wrong in New Orleans, but in England (where the song was thought to have originated) “house of the rising sun” is a euphemism for a brothel. So it could also be about a woman who ruins her life by becoming a prostitute, which would make sense because the song was originally written from the female perspective. The Animals recording of this song sounds like a warning to men, however about gambling and drugs.
The song was wildly successful and went to number one in the UK, US, and Canada. It was number one for three weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is widely considered a classic rock hit. It ranked number 122 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.” In 1999 the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame award and helped The Animals get inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Also to note, because of this song the main vocalist Eric Burdon was ranked 57th in Rolling Stones’ The 100 Greatest Singer of All Time list.
According to the BBC’s Ralph McLean, The Animals version of the song changed modern music forever. While maybe not quite that, the song has made a pretty big impact. It has been featured in countless films and TV shows. It was the first song of the British Invasion (unrelated to the Beatles) to go number one in the US which really solidified the British Invasion as not just a Beatles thing. The song was featured in the recent hit movie Suicide Squad which helped introduce it to a whole new audience. It is also covered in a variety of singing competition shows, such as The Voice where it has been covered over 15 times.