"Fifth House" is a jazz composition by John Coltrane, a contrafact built on the chord changes of Cole Porter's standard "What Is This Thing Called Love?" Recorded on December 2, 1959, and released on the Coltrane Jazz album (Atlantic Records, 1961), the piece applies Coltrane's signature harmonic substitutions to the underlying progression, replacing conventional II-V movements with chains of chords moving by major thirds -- the technique widely known as "Coltrane changes." The title functions as a multilayered reference: it nods to Tadd Dameron's earlier contrafact "Hot House," which is also based on the Porter standard, while simultaneously invoking the astrological fifth house, which governs creativity and artistic self-expression. The melody is constructed primarily around perfect fifth intervals, reinforcing the titular concept on a structural level. A distinguishing feature of the arrangement is an ostinato bass pattern that holds on the note C throughout the A sections, played by both bass and piano, creating a compelling tension between harmonic motion in the solo line and stasis in the foundation. "Fifth House" emerged during the remarkably fertile period that produced "Giant Steps," "Countdown," and "26-2," and it demonstrates Coltrane's versatility in applying his harmonic theories to existing standards rather than solely to original progressions. The composition has been recorded fewer than a dozen times since its debut, including a version by Coltrane's son Ravi Coltrane, and remains a specialist's piece valued for its harmonic ingenuity.
