there is a house in new orleans they call the rising sun and it s been the ruin of many a poor woman and god only knows i know i m one yeah my mother she worked for nothing she sewed my new blue jeans and my father was a gambling man down in new orleans now you could be a stranger a prophet or a king and still they ll leave you dying down there 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 well 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 yeah the other foot on the train i m going back to new orleans to wear that ball and chain now there is there s a house in new orleans they call the rising sun oh and it s been been the ruin of many a poor woman and god only knows i know i m one yes and god only knows i know i m one