Bob Dylan – House Of The Rising Sun lyrics

Bob Dylan – House Of The Rising Sun lyrics

(first releasetraditional, arranged by bob dylan)

There is a house down in new orleans
They call the risin sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl
And me, oh god, I'm a-one

My mother was a tailor
She sewed these new blue jeans
My sweetheart was a gambler, lord
Down in new orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk

He fills his glasses up to the brim
And hell pass the cards around
And the only pleasure he gets out of life
Is ramblin from town to town

Oh tell my baby sister
Not to do what I have done
But shun that house in new orleans
They call the risin sun

Well, it's one foot on the platform
And the other foot on the train
I'm goin back to new orleans
To wear that ball and chain

I'm a-goin back to new orleans
My race is almost run
I'm goin back to end my life
Down in the risin sun

There is a house in new orleans
They call the risin sun
Its been the ruin of many poor girl
And me, oh god, I'm a-one

Lyrics taken from /lyrics/b/bob_dylan/house_of_the_rising_sun.html

Songwriters: Alan Price

House Of The Rising Sun lyrics © Anthem Entertainment, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Unregistered 2012-01-05 18:10:34

I think that the person singing the song fell in love with a w***e who sold herself to feed her gambling addiction. He knows it's wrong and he tries to escape that life but in the end he goes back to where he is the happiest even though he knows it's wrong (one foot on the platform the other on the train). I believe that the ball and chain line symbolizes the life that people with addictions live, their love for whatever brings them joy and at the same time misery is their ball and chain, and in the end he knows that going back means to end his life but he chooses to go anyway.

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frontman56 2009-08-10 20:52:17

This song is so old its hard to figure out the whole meaning. Its rumored to have been wroten in the late 1800's by a man who had just gotten out of jail and was about to go back for another crime. Which explains the chain thing and the sister thing, but the first verse just confuses me. I'll try to figure it out but its really difficult since its so old.

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