Nobody knows for sure who originally wrote “House of the Rising Sun,” because it is a traditional folk song with roots that likely go back to the 19th century or earlier.

Quick Scoop

  • The song is generally credited as “traditional,” not to a single songwriter.
  • The oldest known recording was made in 1933 by Clarence “Tom” Ashley and Gwen Foster, and Ashley said he learned it from his grandfather.
  • Over time, many artists have adapted it, including Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and most famously The Animals in 1964.
  • When you see a modern copyright credit (for example, on records or sheet music), that usually refers to a particular arrangement or version, not the true origin of the song.

A bit of story

The song’s story—about a life ruined in a place called the “Rising Sun” in New Orleans—evolved through oral tradition, passed from singer to singer in the American South and the Appalachian region. Each performer changed verses, perspective (sometimes a man, sometimes a woman), and details, which is typical of folk ballads shared long before anyone thought to write them down.

By the time The Animals turned it into an electrified, minor-key rock anthem in 1964, “House of the Rising Sun” had already lived many lives, which is why modern writers say its authorship is “murky” and ultimately unknown.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.