The house of rising sun
View chords used in this chart
Bm D E G Bm D F# F#
Bm D E G
There is a house in New Orleans,
Bm D F# F#
They call the Rising Sun
Bm D E G
And It's been the ruin of many a poor boy
Bm F# Bm D E G Bm F# Bm F#
And God, I know, I'm one
Bm D E G
My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gambling man
Down in New Orleans
And the only things a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's all a-drunk
I've got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear the ball and chain
So mothers, tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your life in sin and misery
In the house of the Rising Sun
Repeat twice
How to play The house of rising sun
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Bm. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.