A few years ago House Of The Rising Sun was voted number 122 on the Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time. If you learn to play this song, even you just play the intro, people are going to recognise you for the cool dude you really are. This is a song that has been around for about a hundred years or so. It was first recorded in 1933, and recorded again by several country and folk artists over the years until the definitive version of House Of The Rising Sun Was recorded in 1964 by English group Eric Burdon And The Animals. The song was recorded in one take while the group were on the road in England as a support for Chuck Berry, and the spine tingling intro to the song was played by guitarist Hilton Valentine on a Rickenbacker 330 guitar. Many people say that it was the first time a folk song was recorded by a rock group.

The guitar chords for the song are simple and you can learn the chord sequence in a few minutes, then spend a few years fooling around with arpeggios and strumming patterns and whatnot. So the chords are A minor, C major, D major, F major and E major. To get the feeling of the recording by The Animals just play each chord as an arpeggio like this A minor chord:

E -------------------------------

B ------------------1------------

G -------------2--------2---------

D ---------2----------------2-----

A --0-----------------------------

E --------------------------------

If you are familiar with the original record you will know that the arpeggio pattern used by Hilton Valentine contains a few more notes but if you are play using a pick you will be able to work out what he is doing. There are video clips of the animals performing the song on YouTube.

Okay, so here is a basic guide to how the chords for House Of The Rising Sun fit in with the lyrics.

Am C D F

There is a house in New Orleans

Am C E E

They call the Rising Sun

Am C D F

And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy

Am E Am

And God I know I'm one

JUST REPEAT THE CHORD SEQUENCE FOR THE REST OF THE VERSES

My mother was a tailor

She sewed my new blue jeans

My father was a gamblin' 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 goin' 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

If you search around the internet you will find some slightly different versions, but I would suggest you use what I have given you here as a basis for your own trademark rendition.