#odetta

[teddypng]

Incense burning on Odetta's guitar as she performs at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1970. Photos by Doug Griffin.

[joeinct]

Odetta, Photo by Otto Hagel, 1958

[toastedstencils]

illustrations for my women of folk risograph zine :)

[gwydpolls]

Who Sang it Better?

Leadbelly - House of the Rising Sun

Nina Simone - The House of The Rising Sun

Odetta Live in concert 2005, "House of the Rising Sun"

The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun

Full Disclosure: I put the Animals last, because that's usually the only version people know.

I picked the others because of their differences. I grew up with both the Leadbelly and the Animals version playing in my house. The Leadbelly's a good representation of some of the oldest versions and shows what it sounded like before the Animals did their radical rearrangement. The Nina Simone is iconic and really different. The Odetta is a good representation of what some of the later versions that reclaimed the women's perspective lyrics do and is frankly beautiful in itself.

I love all of these. Each one makes the song their own. This is no shade on the versions I didn't pick. If we played every recorded version this would take forever.

There are way more versions than are presented here. No one really knows exactly how old this song is and there is some debate even about whether it's about a brothel, gambling den, etc. since by the time people started recording it there were versions with different ruins including male and female versions.

Who Sang it Better?

Leadbelly - House of the Rising Sun

Nina Simone - The House of The Rising Sun

Odetta Live in concert 2005, "House of the Rising Sun"

The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun

Voting ended onMar 4, 2025

[chaumas-deactivated20240115]

There’s a battle raging somewhere

And its thunder shakes the ground

A terrible silence when it’s over

Only Death makes such a sound

And I see

Yes I see

On the last day of July

Yes I see

Oh I see

It’s the last day of July

Something’s moving in the shadows

What is this that’s drawing nigh?

It’s the Reaper moving silent

Could it be someone’s time to die?

But I see

Yes I see

On the last day of July

Yes I see

Oh I see

On the last day of July

Clouds are gathered, storm is coming

There’s a tempest drawing near

When the darkness has passed over

Then a new day will appear

Oh I see

Yes I see

On the last day of July

Yes I see

Yes I see

On the last day of July

There’s a battle raging somewhere

And its thunder shakes the ground

A terrible silence when it’s over

Only Death makes such a sound

And I see

Yes I see

On the last day of July

Yes I see

Oh I see

On the last day of July

It’s the last day of July

[mourningparlor]

i love you women in folk music. ily joan baez and peggy seeger and cass elliot and carole king and judy collins and vashti bunyan and odetta and elizabeth cotten and sosososo many more of you

[billboard-hotties-tourney]

CUNTY VINTAGE DIVA TOURNEY - ROUND ONE

Mick Karn

Odetta

Voting ended onAug 13, 2025

Vote for the artist you think is the cuntiest of all (or of the two.)

Mick Karn (1958-2011) Japan - bass Songs: "Suburban Love," "Automatic Gun" Propaganda: "one of the greatest bassists in pop music history + one of the few to pull off the 'no-eyebrow' look. new romantic icon despite hating the label (and glam rock before that)"

Odetta (1930-2008) solo Songs: "Take This Hammer," "Rock Island Line" Propaganda: "Her nickname is the 'voice of the American civil Rights movement.' I'm 99% certain that qualifies you to be a bad bitch."

Visual Propaganda for Mick Karn:

[fidjiefidjie]

Bon Matin ❤️🪣🎙🎸💙

Harry Belafonte & Odetta 🎶 A Hole in the Bucket

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