"The House of the Rising Sun" is a traditional folk song that has been covered by numerous artists. It tells the story of a young person's descent into a life of vice and ruin, fueled by the allure of the notorious house in New Orleans known as the Rising Sun. The narrator, who is a male character in the original version, reflects upon his own life, admitting that he is one of the poor boys who has been ruined by the house. He shares that his mother worked as a tailor and sewed his new blue jeans, while his father was a gambler. The song then delves into the life of a gambler, suggesting that all he needs is a suitcase and a trunk, and that he is only satisfied when he indulges in excessive drinking. The narrator warns his mother to advise her children not to follow in his footsteps, to avoid a life of sin and misery in the House of the Rising Sun. In the final verses, the narrator reveals his decision to leave New Orleans and return to the city with a "ball and chain." This symbolizes his acceptance of the consequences of his actions and the realization that he is trapped in the cycle of self-destruction. The song conveys a cautionary tale of the dangers of falling into a life of temptation and addiction, using the mythological House of the Rising Sun as a metaphor for these destructive tendencies. Jacquie Lee's version of the song retains the same powerful storytelling and emotional depth, but it may contain her own interpretation and stylistic choices.
