Lead Belly - House of the Rising Sun free for downloading

Why would anyone downvote this? Leadbelly is legendary... I'm gonna go ahead and say that's 369 people I don't want to be friends with.

I think everyone should know that this isn't even Lead Belly singing on this track, it's his wife, if you listen you can even hear him mutter "let my baby sing" there is a version of him singing it called "In New Orleans" but this is NOT Lead Belly singing.

Of the many versions of this song I've heard, I love the The Animals version best. Just discovered lead belly..looks like I found the legend behind all the legends..

The song is about a brothel in New Orleans. "The House Of The Rising Sun" was named after Madame Marianne LeSoleil Levant (which means "Rising Sun" in French) and was open for business from 1862 (occupation by Union troops) until 1874, when it was closed due to complaints by neighbors. It was located at 826-830 St. Louis St. It's about a women's prison in New Orleans called the Orleans Parish women's prison, which had an entrance gate adorned with rising sun artwork. This would explain the "ball and chain" lyrics in the song. The melody is a traditional English ballad, but the song became popular as an African-American folk song. It was recorded by Texas Alexander in the 1920s, then by a number of other artists including Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Josh White and later Nina Simone. It was her version The Animals first heard. No one can claim rights to the song, meaning it can be recorded and sold royalty-free. Many bands recorded versions of this after it became a hit for The Animals. (Thanks to music historian and author Ron Foster.)

"If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it's a folk song."

There is no original. It's a folk song. Probably had several writers. At least on of them was a woman. Alan Lomax recorded it in the 30s. Woody Guthrie recorded it before Ledbelly.

screw it, I'm gonna sing this over "where did you sleep last night".. works..

awesome blues track, and this is leadbelly's wife singing the track and leadbelly playing the guitar. blues magic right here. 

OK everybody I say we ignore the music and discuss race and religion.

There is no one like Leadbelly. Thanks, Huddie Ledbetter, you made the world a better place.

whoa, I always thought the Animals did this song originally. Schooled proper.

The thing that strikes me about these old blues songs is that they have a sort of foreboding, haunting sound to them

Just discovered lead belly..looks like I found the legend behind all the legends..

WOW! I NEVER heard this version before. Awesome Blues song.

leadbelly invented rock and roll

im so glad that bands like nirvana covered this song because it introduced me to guys like leadbelly

Nobody knows the origin of the song. It's a folk song.