The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #79762   Message #1448018
Posted By: Steve-o
31-Mar-05 - 12:29 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Rising Sun (Leadbelly)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rising Sun (Leadbelly)
No, actually Leadbelly's version was called "In New Orleans", and it is surely one of the earliest recorded versions of "House of the Rising Sun", as Anglo stated. I have it on an old "Stinson" label vinyl, and it features some of his most amazing twelve-string playing. It is essentially the same lyrics as the well-known versions, but the melody is completely different. Example: Verse 1 is "Way down in New Orleans, House called the Rising Sun, Been the ruin of many a poor girl, And me oh God for one" (repeat). Maybe you should also check the former threads on this song- I think there was some discussion of it a while back.