The House of the Rising Sun

The song The House of the Rising Sun has usually been regarded as telling the story of a New Orleans brothel. The song is usually sung from the perspective of a women regardless if the singer is male or female. This reading seems to stem from the opening stanza of the song:

There is a house in New Orleans

They call the rising sun

It’s been the ruin of many a poor boy (girl/soul)

Dear god I know I was one

This stanza does seem to suggest that the song is about a house that is the ruin of an otherwise good person, but the rest of the song does not follow that its about a brothel. In fact the song has several references that seem unlikely to refer to brothel life. As with all folk songs there are numerous additional lyrics and alterations that have been made over the years. I am basing this analysis on the most commonly included stanzas.

My mother was a tailor

She sewed my new blue jeans

And my father was a gambling man (My sweetheart is a drunkard)

Way down in New Orleans (He drinks down in New Orleans)

The only thing a gambler (drunkard) needs

Are a suitcase and a trunk

And the only time he’s satisfied

Is when he’s on the drunk

Oh mother tell your children (Please tell my baby sister)

Not to do as I have done (Not to do what I have done)

Don’t spend your life in sin and misery

In the house of the rising sun

I got one foot on that platform

And another on that train

I’m going back to New Orleans

To wear that ball and chain

There is little dispute that the lyrics tell the story about a women who was led astray by either her father or lover. That seems to vary at the whim of the performer. However, it seems more likely that the song is about a prison rather than a brothel. The two most clear peaces of evidence for this are the reference to a mother sewing new blue jeans. A prostitute is not likely to ever wear jean, especially in the early 20th century when they were reserved for workers. A prisoner on the other hand would need blue jeans to wear as they were not allowed a large selection of clothing and were often employed in manual labor. No interpretation that argues for the house being a brothel seems to account for this anomaly.  The last stanza also suggests a prison with the reference "to wear that ball and chain." It could be a metaphor for being tied to the profession of prostitution, but this seems the alternative literal interpretation is more reasonable. I have heard some say that this is a metaphor for marriage, but then it seems odd that the song would recount the a persons wicked life before ending on a marital note.


A few people have argued that the entire song is a metaphor for slavery and that the house actually refereed to slave pens which were out in the open. This seems to stretch the interpretive elasticity of the lyrics beyond the breaking point. There is no direct reference to slavery and it is doubtful that the song is old enough to refer to the institution.

ash tree

As a historian studying early modern England I have become fascinated with the spelling and typeset of English pamphlets. One of the most interesting aspects it the loss of the ash tree or ash (æ). Although modern spelling, especially in America has eliminated the ash it can still heard in the way we pronounce words such as archeology, medieval, and demon. It isn't practical to use the ash on a current keyboard, but it would be nice to begin using the ash again. It is far more aesthetically pleasing to see on the printed page and emphasizes pronunciation.

I doubt this will catch on in any larger sense, but I have personally decided to begin using the ash when ever possible. The ash is dead, long live the ash! Huzzah for mediæval, dæmon, and archæology!