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Where Did You Sleep Last Night

Status
Cover Song


Song Author
Unknown


Recording Session(s)
November 24, 1991 - Hilversum, Holland Studios VARA-FM "2 Meter Sessie"

(Television) November 18, 1993 - Sony Studios NYC "MTV Unplugged"


Notes
Originally titled "Where Did You Sleep Last Night (In The Pines)" when it first appeared on the Pennyroyal Tea single this is actually an old folk song dating back to 1870. Many know it as "In The Pines" or "Black Girl," performed by Huddie Leadbetter a.k.a. Leadbelly, but in fact it has been recorded by more than a hundred different artists including Dolly Parton, Connie Francis, Clifford Jordan, and Annette Zalinskas (formerly of the Bangles).

The first time Kurt Cobain recorded it he played the guitar and Krist Novoselic played bass, while Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel (both of Screaming Trees) sang vocals and played drums, respectively. Other songs recorded during this 1989 session were also Leadbelly covers ("Ain't It A Shame" and "Grey Goose"). Only "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" was released (on Lanegan's 1990 solo album The Winding Sheet) from this side project, which was called Jury or Lithium.

Nirvana subsequently played "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" several times live. The best known versions are perhaps from the 1991.11.25 Dutch radio session and the 1993 Unplugged session in New York, which was released the next year as an album. The MTV Unplugged version features Lori Goldston on cello.



Further information about the song's history can be found in the Eric Weisbard article.

(Thanks to DN member Cough Syrup for their input.)


 
Availability


Alternate/Working Titles
None Documented


Common Mislabels
Black Girl
My Girl
In The Pines


Mislabels in the Bootography
In The Pines
Something In The Way
Where Did You Sleep At Last Night


Lyrics
Unplugged version

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

Her husband, was a hard working man
Just about a mile from here
His head was found in a driving wheel
But his body never was found

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, where will you go
I'm going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, where will you go
I'm going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, the pines
The sun, the shine
I shiver
All
Night throughhhhhh




The Winding Sheet version

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

Her husband, was a hard working man
Two miles and a half from here
His head was found in a driving wheel
And his body never was found

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, where will you go
I'm going where the cold winds blow
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun never shine
I would shiver all night through




1991.11.25 - VPRO radio session, Holland

My girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

Her husband was a hard working man
And his body was never saw
His head was found in a driving wheel
And his body was never found

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

Her husband was hard working man
And his lover knew his sons
His head was found in a driving wheel
And his body was never found

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shine
I would shiver all night through
Through
Through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver






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