"Where Did You Sleep Last Night," also known as "In The Pines" and "Black Girl," is a traditional American folk song which dates back to at least the 1870s, and is believed to be Southern Appalachian in origin. The identity of the song's author is unknown, but it has been recorded by dozens of artists in numerous genres. The song was first made popular by Lead Belly in 1944, while the 1952 version by Bill Monroe set the standard for country and bluegrass renditions. A 1993 acoustic version by alternative rock band Nirvana introduced the song to many people at the end of the twentieth century.

Early history

Lead Belly: According to musicologist Alan Lomax, the American folk musician Lead Belly learned "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" from the 1917 printed version, and from the 1925 recording. Lead Belly helped popularize the song, recording over half-a-dozen versions between 1944 and 1948, most often under the title, "Black Girl" (or, "Black Gal"). Lead Belly's first rendition, recorded for Musicraft Records in New York City in February 1944, is arguably his most familiar.
Bill Monroe: The 1952 recording by the founder of bluegrass was highly influential on later bluegrass and country versions. Fiddles and yodeling are used to evoke the cold wind blowing through the pines, while references to the decapitation are dropped. However, added lines suggest an eerie quality of timelessness about the train: "I asked my captain for the time of day/ He said he throwed his watch away."
Louvin Brothers: A version of "In the Pines" appears on the Louvin Brothers' 1956 album, "Tragic Songs of Life."
Bob Dylan: The song was performed by Dylan on November 4, 1961 at the Carnegie Chapter Hall in New York City. He again performed the song on January 12, 1990 at the Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut. Neither of these recordings has been officially released.
Jackson C. Frank: The song is on the second disc of Blues Run the Game as "In the Pines."
Clifford Jordan: In the 1965 jazz arrangement by Jordan, singer Sandra Douglass is clear that the woman is in the pines because her husband's death has forced her into prostitution: "You caused me to weep/ And you caused me to moan/ You caused me to leave my home."
The Pleazers: The song was recorded as "Poor Girl" by the Australian rock band in 1965. It was originally recorded as "Black Girl," but changed due to it being viewed as racist.
Grateful Dead: The song was recorded by the American rock band the Grateful Dead on July 17, 1966. It appears as "In The Pines" on their 2001 box set, The Golden Road.
Long John Baldry: Titled "Black Girl," the song appears on It Ain't Easy, a bluesy release produced by Rod Stewart and Elton John in 1971. Baldry sings a rousing version with Maggie Bell.
Danish rock band Gasolin released "Min tøs", a cover, in 1972 on the album Gasolin' 2.
Annette Zilinskas, formerly of the Bangles: Recorded the song in 1986 with her band Blood on the Saddle
The Triffids: Recorded by the Australian rock band for their 1986 studio album In The Pines.
Mark Lanegan: An electric version of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" was recorded by Mark Lanegan in August 1989. It appears on his 1990 debut solo album, The Winding Sheet. In 2006 the Twilight Singers toured with Lanegan as guest vocalist and performed the song live several times.
Nirvana: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" was occasionally performed live by the American rock band Nirvana during the early 1990s. Singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was introduced to the song by Lanegan, and even played guitar on Lanegan's version. Like Lanegan, Cobain usually screamed the song's final verse. Cobain earned critical and commercial acclaim for his acoustic performance of the song during Nirvana's MTV Unplugged appearance in 1993. This version was posthumously released on the band's MTV Unplugged in New York album (and as a B-side on their recalled "Pennyroyal Tea" single) the following year. A solo Cobain home demo of the song, recorded in 1990, appears on the band's 2004 box set, With the Lights Out. It does not feature the final screamed verse of later versions.
Dolly Parton: A live version was recorded by the Parton in 1994. It appears as "In The Pines" on her album, Heartsongs: Live From Home. "It's easy to play, easy to sing, great harmonies and very emotional," said Parton of the song, who learned it from elder members of her family. "The perfect song for simple people."
Ralph Stanley & Jimmy Martin: A version appears as "In the Pines" on the Ralph Stanley & Jimmy Martin album, First Time Together. It was released in 2005.
Susheela Raman: on her 2007 album 33 1/3 Notable versions

Appearances

The song can be heard in the background of the Nicholas Ray film The True Story of Jesse James.
It is possible to hear the song at the end of Wild River, a 1960 film directed by Elia Kazan.
A few lines of the song are sung by Sissy Spacek, playing Loretta Lynn, in the 1980 film, Coal Miner's Daughter.
Lead Belly's version of the song appears in the 1997 horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer.