Animals, The - House of the Rising Sun

Chords & Piano Lesson
The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
Hello! Below you'll find my "House of the Rising Sun" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
 

This is one of my very favorite songs by The Animals. It takes you on quite a journey. There are a lot of instruments on the recording, but it translates well to a solo piano arrangement - I even included some of Paul's amazing bass melodies for the left hand to play, but that's optional :)

Enjoy!

Lesson Video
Chord Chart

House of the Rising Sun Piano Tutorial

Here's a piano tutorial video for House of the Rising Sun:

House of the Rising Sun Chords & Lyrics

[Intro]
Am Am Am |

[Verse 1]
          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 Am Am |
And God, I know, I'm one

[Verse 2]
       Am     C         D      F
My mother was a tailor
        Am           C             E      E
She sewed my new blue jeans
      Am    C        D             F
My father was a gambling man
Am         E         Am Am Am |
Down in New Orleans.

[Verse 3]
              Am  C         D            F
Now the only thing a gambler needs
       Am          C      E      E
Is a suitcase and a trunk
              Am  C          D       F
And the only time, he's satisfied,
    Am           E      Am Am Am |
Is when he's on a drunk

[Solo]
| Am | C | D | F | Am | C | E | E |
| Am | C | D | F | Am | E |
| Am | C | D | F | Am | E | Am | E |
 
[Verse 4]
       Am     C                    D     F
Oh, mother,   tell your children
          Am          C       E      E
Not to do what I have done
Am              C          D         F
Spend your lives in sin and misery
           Am        E         Am Am Am |
In the House of Rising Sun

[Verse 5]
                 Am        C         D          F
Well, I got one foot on the platform
        Am          C          E     E
The other foot on the train
       Am   C          D                  F
I'm going back to New Orleans
     Am          E            Am Am Am |
To wear that ball and chain

[Verse 6]
                 Am   C           D                  F
Well, 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 Am |
And God, I know, I'm one

[Outro]
Am Dm X5
Am |
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
House of the Rising Sun Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "House of the Rising Sun" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
 
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.  
 
3. Simplify if need be: "House of the Rising Sun" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
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