misheard lyrics of house of the rising sun

[weary flake]

I've always misheard the lyrics to the Animals: House Of
The Rising Sun, it seems. Reading the printed lyrics it
includes these lines:

"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

I heard "Is when he's on drugs" when
I was a kid, so I supposed it was a drug
song, an anti-drug song. And I heard
the other line as "Spend your life
sincere in misery" whatever that's
supposed to mean.

So the real lyrics maybe are better not having
drugs in it but I like my "sincere in
misery" line.

What's the song about? A brothel, I guess;
not a thing you want to spend your life in,
sincerely or not. Maybe the song would be
better as a anti-drug song.

[missussex]

Post by weary flake
I've always misheard the lyrics to the Animals: House Of
The Rising Sun, it seems. Reading the printed lyrics it
"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
I heard "Is when he's on drugs" when
I was a kid, so I supposed it was a drug
song, an anti-drug song. And I heard
the other line as "Spend your life
sincere in misery" whatever that's
supposed to mean.
So the real lyrics maybe are better not having
drugs in it but I like my "sincere in
misery" line.
What's the song about? A brothel, I guess;
not a thing you want to spend your life in,
sincerely or not. Maybe the song would be
better as a anti-drug song.

I always thought they were singing "The only time he's happy is when he's on the drum." I assumed "the drum" was a roulette wheel. Another of the lines I misheard was, "Mother was a tailor, sold my new blue jeans." (It's actually "sewed.") And yes, the song is about a gambling house, which is possibly also a house of prostitution. But they couldn't say that on Top 40 radio in the sixties.

[missussex]

Post by weary flake
I've always misheard the lyrics to the Animals: House Of
The Rising Sun, it seems. Reading the printed lyrics it
"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
I heard "Is when he's on drugs" when
I was a kid, so I supposed it was a drug
song, an anti-drug song. And I heard
the other line as "Spend your life
sincere in misery" whatever that's
supposed to mean.
So the real lyrics maybe are better not having
drugs in it but I like my "sincere in
misery" line.
What's the song about? A brothel, I guess;
not a thing you want to spend your life in,
sincerely or not. Maybe the song would be
better as a anti-drug song.

I thought the line went, "And the only time he's satisfied is when he's on a drum." I assumed that the drum was a roulette wheel.

Another line I misheard was "Mother was a tailor/Sold my new blue jeans." It's actually "sewed" my new blue jeans.

And yes, the song is about a gambling house which may have also been a brothel. But they couldn't say that on Top 40 radio in the sixties.

[weary flake]

Post by missussex

Post by weary flake
I've always misheard the lyrics to the Animals: House Of
The Rising Sun, it seems. Reading the printed lyrics it
"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
I heard "Is when he's on drugs" when
I was a kid, so I supposed it was a drug
song, an anti-drug song. And I heard
the other line as "Spend your life
sincere in misery" whatever that's
supposed to mean.
So the real lyrics maybe are better not having
drugs in it but I like my "sincere in
misery" line.
What's the song about? A brothel, I guess;
not a thing you want to spend your life in,
sincerely or not. Maybe the song would be
better as a anti-drug song.

I thought the line went, "And the only time he's satisfied is when he's
on a drum." I assumed that the drum was a roulette wheel.
Another line I misheard was "Mother was a tailor/Sold my new blue
jeans." It's actually "sewed" my new blue jeans.

I heard "My father was a tailor, sold my new blue jeans".

By the way, here's the edited version from the single:

That's a weird edit, I haven't heard before.

Post by missussex
s about a gambling house which may have also been a brothel. But they
couldn't say that on Top 40 radio in the sixties.