Rock legend Eric Burdon is both pissed off and amused that the Trump campaign used his classic ‘House of the Rising Sun’ at a campaign rally without his permission but he also has drawn attention to the meaning of the song, something the Trumpers didn’t think about.
“Even though nobody asked my permission, I wasn’t surprised to learn that #Trump #864511320 used #HouseoftheRisingSun for his rally the other day…A tale of sin and misery set in a brothel suits him so perfectly! Far more appropriate for this time in our history might be #WeGottaGetOutofThisPlace.
This is my answer #vote #saveourdemocracy #bidenharris2020”
The origins of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ date back to the 16th century and a ballad titled ‘The Unfortunate Rake’.
Eric Burdon’s 1964 version with The Animals is based around a collection by Alan Lomax for the Archive of American Folk Song for the Library of Congress.
Woody Guthrie recorded a version in 1941.
Leadbelly recorded it twice, in 1944 and 1948.
