Back to the topic at hand ...

I learned House of the Rising Sun as "Rising Sun Blues" from the early (ca. 1954) Josh White LP, "Strange Fruit" (God, I wish I had it now ...), which also included "Bad Housing Blues", "Evil-Hearted Man" and a wonderful version of "John Henry". I loved that record, and cracked up my parents squeaking out the songs -- it was just too funny, a 11-year-old white-bread kid with an Ottawa Valley accent singin' the blues and playing air guitar in the kitchen WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WASHING THE DISHES!

The Animals' version came out when I was about 13, and I never liked it -- too loud and not regretful enough. And it never made sense to me that a male person could be forced to spend the rest of his days in a whorehouse because someone else needs only a suitcase and a trunk, and is satisfied only when drunk!

In retrospect, it's quite remarkable how much of the, um, sterner side of life I encountered first in traditional song ...