“Black Girl” by Lead Belly (ca. 1947)
Recorded for Folkways Records. Reissued on Lead Belly: Where Did You Sleep Last Night. Lead Belly Legacy, vol 1. (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1996)
Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me Tell me where did you sleep last night In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines I will shiver the whole night through. Black girl, black girl, where will you go? I'm going where the cold wind blows In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines I will shiver the whole night through. Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me Tell me where did you sleep last night In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines I will shiver the whole night through. My husband was a railroad man killed a mile and a half from here His head was found in a driver's wheel And his body haven't never been found. Black girl, black girl, where will you go? I'm going where the cold wind blows You caused me to weep and you caused me to moan You caused me to leave my home.
“In the Pines” by Joan Baez
Recorded in 1961. Very Early Joan (Vanguard Records, 1988)
Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me tell me where did you sleep last night In the pines, in the pines where the sun never shines I shivered the whole night through My father was a railroad man killed a mile-and-a-half from town His head was found neath the driver's wheel his body has never been found You caused me to weep, you caused me to moan you caused me to leave my home Black girl, black girl, where will you go I'll go where the cold winds moan In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines I'll shiver the whole night through The longest train I ever saw was a hundred coaches long And the only boy I ever loved is on that train and gone. Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me tell me where did you sleep last night In the pines, in the pines where the sun never shines I shivered the whole night through
“In the Pines” by Bill Monroe (1952)
The Best of Bill Monroe (MCA 1999).
The longest train I ever saw Went down that Georgia line The engine passed at six o'clock And the cab passed by at nine In the pines, in the pines Where the sun never shines And we shiver when the cold wind blows Who who hoo hoo hoo, who who hoo hoo hoo I asked my captain for the time of day He said he throwed his watch away A long steel rail and a short cross tie I'm on my way back home In the pines, in the pines Where the sun never shines And we shiver when the cold wind blows Who who hoo hoo hoo, who who hoo hoo hoo Little girl, little girl, what have I done That makes you treat me so? You caused me to weep, you caused me to mourn You caused me to leave my home In the pines, in the pines Where the sun never shines And we shiver when the cold wind blows Who who hoo hoo hoo, who who hoo hoo hoo
“In the Pines” by Roscoe Holcomb (ca. 1964)
Recorded by John Cohen. Roscoe Holcomb: The High Lonesome Sound (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1998)
In the pines, in the pines where the sun it never shines and I shiver when the cold wind blows Little girl, little girl, don't lie to me saying honey, where'd you stay last night I stayed in the pines, where the sun don't never shine said I shivered when the cold wind blows Look up, look down that lonesome road hang down your little head and cry If you love me as I do you would you go with me or die
“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Nirvana (1993)
Nirvana: Unplugged in New York (DCG CD 24727, 1994)
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, in the pines Where the sun don't ever shine I would shiver the whole night through