Eric Burdon’s facial expression is perfect for the song. I am always unpleasantly surprised when people expect him to smile in this vid. He is nothing short of superb.

Mothers and the House of the Rising Sun. In 1964 I was in a band and we were practicing in my parents garage. We were working on this song as it was so popular then. My mom (me mum) came and listened and said she really like the song. We said, ya, we just wrote it. She was impressed and went into the house. 10 minutes later she comes out and says (with a big grin on her face) You guys lied to me. I just heard that song on the radio. Busted.

The slow walking is reminiscent of a funeral procession, which ties in with the somber mood of the song.

The bass player is the man who "discovered" Hendrix

This song is a warning about things like gambling, the lyrics are a person who has gone down this road and is now headed to prison.

Another great English band from my hometown Newcastle upon Tyne, NE England.

You give one of the best songs ever written a 5? Wow! I'm truly speechless. A 5!!! D.e.a.r. G.o.d.

“We got to get outa this place” animals man! 👍🏼

It is a somber song, like a warning. Eric Burdon had an amazing voice. Very soulful indeed. I remember seeing this on tv, probably the ed Sullivan show when I was a kid. By the way, the guy playing bass later promoted Jimi Hendrix and took him to England. First rock song I learned on guitar.

They aren't smiling because of the subject matter. Its not ALL about image,as it is today.

Gotta remember, this is from 1964. Bands wore suits and were a little stiff when being filmed or on TV.

The song is about being a slave to sinful behaviour and creating your own hell! jmho

I really like and respect your Mom, the way her eyes were moving around during the song I could tell she was really taking it all in. She's really pretty too !!

Always loved them! They didn't call the lead singer the Howling Wolf for nothing. That voice belongs to a Master. And at such young ages back then

I've liked this song for as long as I can remember. It's a wonder to watch him sing. The voice that comes out so effortlessly!

The Animals were on the chuck Berry tour- the people's reaction to the song was crazy-they knew they had to record it ASAP-so they took a train to london -with their equipment -went to the studio at 8:30 am -took a short run thru the song--- so the engineer could set the recording levels-- they played and recorded it in one take -got back on the train and went back to the tour and the rest is history

I like your moms' honest reaction. It's a sad story of a life wasted in the same manner his fathers life had been wasted, in gambling and 'other' unseemly behavior. The somber tone of their faces reflected the somber tone of the song. Good honest reaction. I would suggest either "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" or "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" For a great Eric Burton song try "Spill the Wine" which has the group 'War' as the band covering the music.

Why on earth would a man smile singing about his life being ruined by addiction to alcohol and gambling?

Smiling because Eric Burdon sings this with such feeling. One of my favorites of all time.

I don’t know how anyone can not of heard this song in the US. It’s in movies, commercials, radio non stop, sporting arenas, games, tv shows etc

I love Eric Burden’s voice. I randomly bought a cassette of the Animals while in college in the 80s. Good stuff.

I like the fact that you’re sharing these songs with your mom to see what she thinks about them.. are they songs you really like and want her to hear?

The bass player Chas Chandler brought Jimi Hendrix to England in 66 and became his manager for a while- Eric Burdon the singer was a big friend of Jimi and the rest is history.

Eric Burdon, it was said by Rolling Stone magazine, had a voice at 24 that sounded like he'd spent 40 years drinking in a smoke filled bar. Amazing singer and version of this song which was first recorded in 1922. Of course the lyrics affect singers, it is, you're right, absolutely the lyrics. It's a sad song. I always thought it was weird that anybody smiled while playing this song LOL.

Eric Burdon's voice was soul personified.

My hubby’s favorite song! Love seeing your mom’s reaction. Since she missed out, anything Motown from the 60’s is amazing!

They were part of the "British Invasion" of the mid-60's. Most of their songs had a somber or serious tone, a little "edgy". It was just their style,

Old Pete Seeger song. I first learned this on my guitar back in he early 70s. It is from the late 1800s. It is about a brothel. The original song was sung in the female." It has been the ruin of many a poor girl, and Lord I know I'm one." Since it is Pete Seeger it is likely from the 1800s originally at least. I am now 60 and I learned the Pete Seeger songs from my dad.

A 5? Because no smiles? Guess there's no accounting for taste.

How the keyboardist catches the main melody after that solo is probably my favorite part of this song.

This is an old traditional American song. Bob Dylan did a version as well but the Animals had the world wide hit with it.

Oh wait! Your mom should absolutely listen to Johnny Cash, singing Hurt! Or the Allman Brothers doing Soulshine. That's a perfect song.

Haha, her shallow, casual reaction to this classic was funny in a strange kind of way. It's easy to forget that songs one has held dear for most of their life won't necessarily make much of an impact on somebody else. The first time I heard The House Of The Rising Sun was back when I was a teenager in the 80s. It never gets old - and thank goodness I haven't listened to the radio since the early 90s...!

So your Ma didn't like the song because they didn't smile? Jaysus! and people call me a harsh critic!!!!!!

Not smiling was a "thing" for the British invasion groups in the latter part of the 60's. It was considered cool to appear unimpressed with anything. The Beatles were the first British invasion group to smile on stage. Some groups picked up smiling, while performing, after that and some never did.

It's a song, from am old poem, about losing your soul and your $ at the gambling house. Why smile?

Eric Burden has such a strong powerful voice, they had many great songs, I liked the Animals more then I did the Beatles.

I miss my mamaw terrible. She passed in 2017 but she listened to a lot of gospel. Being in East Tennessee there is a lot of gospel music and I am grateful for that. You can listen to music and still keep your eyes on what matters 🙏

The big lad on the bass guitar worked with my da, (father), at the caterpiller factory in Peterlee, making dozers, tracked vechiles, he was the lad who put Jimmy Hendrix up in his back bedroom, spare room, and got him his first gigs when he came to the UK, helped him out big style, best regards from County Durham England

I am a Geordie, same community from a long line ....all coal or lead miners, from 8 year old's and 70 year olds... I have enjoyed the appreciation of a true soulful voice, from black people who are close brothers and sisters, under our heavenly father

Love that you're sharing with your mom, she seems very cool. My mom was a teen when she had me in the 50's, so we basically grew up together listening to great music of the time.

Just as a little bit of added info, the bass player here with the Animals is Chas Chandler who on the animals last tour of America found a young guitarist playing in a cafe in Greenwich Village. The guitarist was using the name Jimmy James. Chandler convinced him to move to London and let him oversee the young mans career. Soon after arriving back in London Chandler convinced him to use his real name instead of the stage name. the kid's real name? Jimi Hendrix! chandler masterminded the whole of Hendrix's career from there on, recruiting the 'Experience' for him and even coming up with the idea of setting his guitar on fire to close big shows. Yep. the big red head playing bass was the mastermind behind Jimi Hendrix!

"House of the Rising Sun" was said to have been known by American miners in 1905. The oldest published version of the lyrics is that printed by Robert Winslow Gordon in 1925, in a column titled "Old Songs That Men Have Sung" in Adventure magazine.

I played keyboards with Eric Burdon in 1982, played his 60th birtday in LA in 2001 and rejoined him 2006-2016 and recorded and did many shows with him over the years. Never saw him do a bad show or do the same thing twice. He grew up listening to Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker and approached his vocal style that way. Met all the guys in the group John Steel/drums, Hilton Valentine/guitar. Chas Chandler/bass, Alan Price/organ and of course Eric. They were all friends with Jimi Hendrix as they opened for Little Richard on a tour of England in the 60s and Jimi was playing with Little Richard. Chas managed and produced Jimi's albums. And Eric put together another group - Eric Burdon & War. Many stories I know from my years with Eric too. I'll put them in my book...

Fun fact the tall basses discovered Jimmy hendrix

You two are precious! Your mama is beautiful!

Brilliant! This song is canon. This version is a modern adaptation of an English folk song hundreds of years old. The song is a warning call of a life wasted in addiction which will bring nothing but "sin and misery". The singer describes his mother, the tailor, and father, the gambling man and addict. Who's steps the singer follows. The House of the Rising Sun is most likely a brothel (really any trap house) but thats not the point of the song. The point is the effects of cyclical, generational, addiction and its destruction on the family and ultimately yourself, when he sings "And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy and God, I know I'm one. Best of luck!

As a teenager in the 60s I loved Eric Burden and have always been a fan.

I'm Chinese-American, parents were immigrants here from HK, and I grew up in the '80s hearing them listening to music like this. Though they tended to both prefer the Beatles, and that hippy folk type of music (Simon & Garfunkel, Carpenters, Joni Mitchell, an' on and on), they got into singing early karaoke, on now-vanished laserdiscs, and I learned to sing this first when I was like.. 14. I tended to like early-20th century jazz and blues growing up, to what little extent I liked music at all. And while this song was an old folk song, this is the most popular rendition of it, and probably the longest lasting. Nowadays I'm still generally most into '80s music, but it's only these years/decades later that I realized how much I took for granted.. just how good a lot of the vocalists from the '60s and '70s were: Karen Carpenter, the Righteous Brothers, this guy from the Animals, and.. just how RICH all these genres of music were from the mid-20th century, vocally, culturally..

I love seeing her right there with you....I miss my grandparents, and parents...but I really enjoy y'alls connection...I had it too...cherish it James

It's a sad song, that's why they had serious expressions in their faces. I think the guy at the end couldn't help but smile because the song is so cool haha

the lyrics of the song have a sad topic, so why should he smile?

Someone said it well below. This is an old folk/blues song about being a slave to one's vices, but also being unable to break the tragic cycles that he inherited through no choice of his own. I actually think that, originally, this was written from a woman's perspective and the House she is returning to is a brothel. Edit...also my answer is yes, id like to see the two of you do more reactions.

He's smiling because that was their 1st Take shooting the video, and they killed it.

Wind back to 1960's, last day of school before summer holiday. My music teacher (who we all called Ma Jazz) 😏, for a treat let us play some pop music, l can clearly remember this song playing. Happy Days!

I love how the drummer gives zero cares about looking like he's actually playing and just waving the drumsticks.

Absolutely phenomenal performance from these guys, this song has has over 200 million views on social media platforms !

The song is about a brothel in New Orleans. "The House Of The Rising Sun" was named after its occupant Madame Marianne LeSoleil Levant (which means "Rising Sun" in French) and was open for business from 1862 (occupation by Union troops) until 1874, when it was closed due to complaints by neighbors.

Listening to this song without your eyes is probably best. It's perfect.

Eric Burdon was only about 16 when they recorded this. He's still singing to this day. Saw him with Jack Bruce and Corky Lane at the Warehouse in New Orleans back in 73 or 74.

And this young man was really young. Such a voice for a 20 something. They are good

He also did,spill the wine,,they were the most soulful band of that time

People tend to forget about Eric Burdon and his groups, The Animals and War. He also collaborated with Ringo Starr, and was an actor.

No shade but you don't expect that voice outta that kid. Amazing song. ✌

It’s about a wasted life in the house of the rising. Sun. A house oh I’ll repute. It’s a sad song. So no jolly smiles

The question was asked "Is this from a movie?", it has been in several movies most notably Casino starring Robert Deniro and Joe Pesci.

And a note: The Beatles had over 40 successive number 1 singles & this song (House of the Rising Sun) knocked them off the charts & took over number 1.

A "5' ? Wow are you tough mom. This a is classic, the voice of Eric Burden, the organ, to the Lyrics, just a timeless song, that tells the story of falling into a life of misery.

Eric Burden said the song is old. Other bands in the early sixties in the UK performed it on stage. The group loved it and Eric changed a few verses and added some of his own. I heard recently Bob Dylan heard it on the radio and pulled over and was taken so much by it he decided to go from acoustic to electric guitar and was badly received on stage at the New Port folk festival a few months later.

Every single song by Eric Burdon is fantastic btw Eric is now in his eighty's now and still singing why? Because you cannot retire an awesome voice like Eric's!!!! You keep sing Eric!!!!!

Smile was deliberate. Meaning is,according to me.The house of rising sun will be always present.

I’m so glad you have your moms wit you. I lost mine in 2011. Love your effort and your moms!

Knowing the meaning of this songs makes it 1000000 times better

The band was told to keep the tone somber for the show. Remember that this is not a music video, this was a performance on a variety show. That's why they are so reserved and wearing suits. And some of the smiles and movements were their way of screwing with management. If you can find live footage you will see a whole different show.

He's going back to New Orleans to wear that ball and chain - so yes very somber lyrics.

It was in the movie Easy Rider. It was a long time ago, and I only watched in when it first came out in the theater, but if I remember it right, they played it when they went to the brothel. From the website, AmericanBluesScene: "if a fabled Rising Sun ever did exist in New Orleans, currently the most likely location to claim the honor is located on 535-537 Conti Street in the famous French Quarter, where evidence of a hotel named 'Rising Sun' was found. Excavators discovered unusual amounts of makeup containers and liquor bottles, and a newspaper ad stating that the hotel was open to “discerning gentlemen”, which could have possibly alluded to (the brothel's activity). Rising Sun is thought to have operated from 1808-1822, when it burned." Because of the way it was used in "Easy Rider", I always thought the song was about regret for the sin and shame of becoming a regular, addicted, guest at the brothel. They don't have anything to smile about if that interpretation is accurate.

The Animals represented the gritty, working class city of Newcastle very well with their hard-edged Blues, Folk and R&B sounds. They picked this song up from a Lead Belly recording, a black musician who leaned heavily into Folk for his unique sound. The song is about a brothel in New Orleans, as well as a very dysfunctional family and the dark paths the song's subject travels. The lack of smiling would have come from both the seriousness of the song and the director of this film clip instructing the band to be serious. The footage is from a 1965 UK music movie called Pop Gear, which was just a collection of songs from the top acts of the day, linked by a host who would introduce each band or singer.

They're all on dope! No long hair will play in my town!!! Thanks. Don't let me be misunderstood is another great example of this band

That song is an old folk song about a girl who ends up in a 'house of the rising sun' a house of prostitution. The girls in the 1800s put a red lamp in front of their houses to indicate it was a brothel. Thus the term 'red light district' This song is made over for a young man. There is a recording by Leadbelly on you tube with the old lyrics.

Originally a traditional folk song, “The House of the Rising Sun”, also known as “Rising Sun Blues”, tells of life in New Orleans, back in the day when poverty was the fate of many people.

The song is a traditional folk song, the House of the Rising Sun is referring to a ‘house of ill repute’ (a brothel), it was originally written to be sung by a female singer, and refers to living a miserable life working as a prostitute in a brothel in new Orleans (brothels were legal in New Orleans and thriving right up into the early 20th century). When viewed in that context it is easy to see its original intention was to warn young women to avoid prostitution, otherwise they would live a life of misery that is difficult to escape from. When male singers covered it had to take on a slightly different meaning, and then becomes a warning about visiting these ‘houses’ (brothels), which also often had other activities going on in them too, such as excessive drinking, drugs and gambling. Of course at the time the song was written there was also no real cure for STD’s, syphilis in particular was a real problem before the advent of penicillin, if you caught it you would just have to live with it which could lead to a number of horrendous symptoms. So ultimately it is a cautionary tale about avoiding brothels as they lead to a miserable life. Many folk singers female and male have covered this song previously, but the Animals made it popular outside of folk circles, by modernising it (by 60’s standards) and turning it into a bluesy pop song. Indeed, it made number 1 in the UK (where the Animals are from). The Animals also had hits with ‘We gotta get out of this place’ which reached number 2 in the UK charts, and ‘don’t let me be misunderstood’, which reached number 3 in the UK charts, both also great songs. As an aside the lead singer Eric Burdon is said to be the ‘egg man’ referred to in the Beatles song ‘I am the Walrus’.

The original "House of the Risin' Sun" was about a "Cat house" in NOLA. This version made it about a man going to prison (going back to wear that ball and chain).

the guy that smiled died yesterday , the one behind him died also a number of years ago and he was hendrix manager.

Love your analysis and you are correct about them being stoic because of the lyrics. Its a very sad song about a guy who ruined his life and basically took his family down with him. Very good perception on your part.

The British Invasion was a very special time in the history of music! 😂👏👏👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The Animals straight out of the British Invasion with the amazing Eric Burdon! Check out the other Amazing Animals songs We Gotta Get Outta This Place and so many other classics. Also Eric's work with the band War.

This is a very old traditional folk song of unknown origin. It's origins were already forgotten by the time Leadbelly recorded his version of it in the 1940s.

Looks like mom is enjoying the beat and rhythm of the particular song.

The song is about addiction. The son is following in his father's footsteps- "Mother, tell your children, not to do what I have done..." THe Ball and chain is because he's going back to his addiction, just like his old man. Very sinister song.

The origin of this song is somewhere back in the 19th century, US. This house really existed and was actually a bordel. The peculiar thing is that the first known recording is ftom 1934. Only this British band made it famous in the 60'. I wonder why this young British boys sacceeded to deliver the pain more than any Americans before.

We played this House of the Rising Sun , during the mid sixties at a high school assembly . Ed Wright sang it just like Eric did. I played the guitar just like the original. About a half hour after. I was in Geography clas and my teacher said the vice principle wanted me in his office now. Long story short, I got suspended for a week , due to the subject matter. No singing about whore houses during school. Crazy then, .

I called B:S... if mamma never heard this, she didn't have a radio

You took 5 points away for a lack of a smile? o.O

The Seekers: "When the Stars Begin to Fall" Should be perfect!

If your lovely Mom grew up with gospel, The Beatles "Let It Be"....and Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water" AND Queen Live at Montreal "Somebody to Love." I am certain she would love all three. Thanks!

Your mom grew up with gospel? (Hi mom!) She should hear "Bridge over troubled water"! This song was originally sung by a woman (The House Of the Rising Sun was a famous New Orleans brothel). Sung by a man it becomes a song about gambling and other addictions. It's an old song originally from the 1930s, this version came out in about 1965. The ball and chain is metaphorical - He's not going back to prison, he's returning to his old desperate life unable to break free of his addiction. This song is a great example of what is known as "northern soul". American soul music was very popular among bands in the north of England in the 1960s, and their distinctive take on the style became northern soul.

his voice is amazing

Low key...the drummer is smooth as silk chewing his gum and tapping that hi-hat.

Tell your Mom, that the next time she listens to this song, to shut her eyes and just listen to the words. Then she will get the meaning and why he has a stoic face.

The reason why they look so "stoic" is because they're 23 years old with a hit record & on TV for the first time! They're also LIP SYNCHING to their hit tune - which EVERYONE did in those days - so the tune would sound EXACTLY like the record! Incidentally, the big guy in the back with the guitar is Chas Chandler, who discovered Jimi Hendrix a few years later, and produced his first record!