House Of The Rising Sun／(淪落的)日昇之屋

有個朋友每次聽見這首歌，便熱淚盈眶、感傷無限地訴說著他當兵時，雖遠離了他那酒鬼父親與問題繁多的家庭，但總掛念著百般隱忍為孩子們付出的母親。每當休假回家探視母親後，一腳踏在月台上，一腳跨進火車車廂之中，望著家的方向，心緒複雜的他腦子裡便響起這首歌...

The Animals (US album)  (1964)

The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gambling man
Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk

Oh mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one

在紐奧良有一間屋子
人們都叫它日昇之屋
很多可憐的孩子都在此毀掉一生
上帝，我就是其中一個

我的母親是個裁縫
是她縫製好我的新牛仔褲
我的父親是個賭徒
在紐奧良南方

而這個賭鬼唯一需要的
是行李箱與大皮箱
他唯一感到滿足的時候
是他喝醉的時候

噢！媽媽，告訴孩子們
別步入我的後塵
在罪惡與悲慘中度過餘生
在那日昇之屋

我一腳踏在月台
另一腳踏在火車車廂上
我正要回到紐奧良
回去戴上腳銬與鎖鏈

在紐奧良有一間屋子
人們都叫它日昇之屋
很多可憐的孩子都在此毀掉一生
上帝，我就是其中一個

1920年代早期，「House Of The Rising Sun」在美國黑人文化中常用來作為妓院的代名詞，傳統版本的歌詞所描述的並不是男性經驗，而是少女淪為娼妓之後的悔恨。根據民謠學者 Alan Lomax 在1941年的著作「Our Singing Country」中指出，「House Of The Rising Sun」原本是傳統英國歌謠，1862年聯盟佔領紐奧良期間，Marianne LeSoleil Levant 在826-830聖路易斯街開了間妓院，後來因鄰居抱怨，在1874年被迫結束營業：

There is a house in New Orleans 
They call the Rising Sun.
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl,
And me, O God, for one. 

If I had listened what Mamma said,
I'd 'a' been at home today.
Being so young and foolish, poor boy,
Let a rambler lead me astray. 

Go tell my baby sister
Never do like I have done
To shun that house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun. 

My mother she's a tailor;
She sold those new blue jeans.
My sweetheart, he's a drunkard, Lord, Lord,
Drinks down in New Orleans. 

The only thing a drunkard needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk.
The only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk.
Fills his glasses to the brim,
Passes them around 

Only pleasure he gets out of life
Is hoboin' from town to town.
One foot is on the platform
And the other one on the train. 

I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain.
Going back to New Orleans,
My race is almost run.
Going back to spend the rest of my days
Beneath that Rising Sun.

書上也指出，這首歌後來由美國 Kentucky (肯他基州)的 Georgia Turner 和 Bert Martin 重新填詞，最早的錄音版本是1920年代的黑人藍調歌手 Texas Alexander，被傳唱的次數不勝枚舉(後註*)，但仍維持以女性的角度出發而演唱：

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun.
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl,
and me, O God, for one.

If I had listened what Mamma said,
I'd 'a' been at home today.
Being so young and foolish, poor boy,
let a rambler lead me astray.

Go tell my baby sister
never do like I have done
to shun that house in New Orleans
they call the Rising Sun.

My mother she's a tailor;
she sold those new blue jeans.
My sweetheart, he's a drunkard, Lord, Lord,
drinks down in New Orleans.

The only thing a drunkard needs
is a suitcase and a trunk.
The only time he's satisfied
is when he's on a drunk.

直到1964年被英國樂團 The Animals 改編後，這首歌才變成描寫男性經驗的歌曲，並且同時進入英國 Chart 流行榜及美國 Billboard 告示排行榜的冠軍，也讓這首歌成為眾所皆知的經典歌曲。

這個名叫「House of The Rising Sun」的妓院是否真的存在呢？一本書名為「Offbeat New Orleans」(與眾不同的紐奧良)的旅遊指南堅稱，早在19世紀中晚期，1862年到1874年之間，「House of The Rising Sun」這所妓院的確存在，並且有地址為證︰826-830 St. Louis St.。而「House of The Rising Sun」是以這所妓院的鴇母 Marianne LeSoleil Levant 的姓氏命名；她的姓氏翻譯成英文便是「The Rising Sun」的意思。

事實上仍沒有人能確認此事，甚至從歌詞語意中，許多人認為那其實是紐奧良教區的一間女子監獄。

但當這首歌廣為流傳之後，許多人仍對於是否真有這間名為「House of The Rising Sun」的妓院感到好奇，The Animals 的主唱 Eric Burdon 在被詢問此事時曾經明確地表達過他的意見：「很多人都來找我並跟我說：『你想知道真正的日昇之屋在哪裡嗎？』我回答他們：『我以前就聽過那一間了。』」
「後來我曾經親自去找。我去過男性監獄、女性監獄、精神病院，找過一些販毒份子或賭徒、酒鬼，甚至到過私人聚會場所詢問，那些人也都表明非常樂意帶我去(日昇之屋，意指妓院)....」

最後他笑了笑，說：「這不過只是英國人傳唱關於女孩淪入妓院的一首歌，那些旅遊業者根本是為了吸引觀光客才杜撰出來這樣的故事。」

*後註
已知唱過「House of The Rising Sun」的歌手
Agents of Oblivion
The Adolescents
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Bard of Ely
Joan Baez
The Be Good Tanyas
Cyndee Peters
Blind Boys of Alabama
Bon Jovi
The Brothers Four
Johnny Cash
Cody C & J.R.
David Allen Coe
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Paul Killington
The Doors
Bob Dylan
The Eagles
Tommy Emmanuel
Evereve
Marianne Faithfull
Bob Fuzz
Frijid Pink
Gerry and the Pacemakers
Woody Guthrie
Wyclef Jean (et Les Portes du Pen)
Waylon Jennings
Brian Johnson
Sammy Kaye
B.B. King and Mary Travers
Mark Knopfler
Kult
La Renga
Leadbelly
Led Zeppelin
Courtney Love
Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power)
Ronnie Milsap
Roger McGuinn
Muse
Tim O'Brien
Mark O'Conner
Sinéad O'Connor
Odetta
John Otway
Oysterhead
Dolly Parton
The Platters
Pink Floyd
Rockapella
The Rolling Stones
Dave van Ronk
Santa Esmeralda
Sentenced
Nina Simone
Tangerine Dream
Toto
Tracy Chapman
The Ventures
Richard Watson
The Weavers
The White Stripes
Josh White
Johnny Hallyday (Le pénitencier)
譚詠麟
綾戶智繪
蔡振南(大節女)
林美莉(大節女)
郭桂彬(大節女)