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Nirvana — Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Album: MTV Unplugged
Avg rating:
7.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1381









Released: 1994
Length: 4:48
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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 goin' 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 drivin' 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
Sun, shine
I shiver, the whole, night through
Comments (80)add comment
Wow.  Absolutely overpowering.
 geonuine wrote:

Well, he has a hard stance; however, I wouldn't call him inhumane at an instant, just because others cannot respect his 'feelings' snowflake
 

 dwhayslett wrote:

We regret to inform you that you've failed your basic humanity test.
 
Well, he has a hard stance; however, I wouldn't call him inhumane at an instant, just because others cannot respect his 'feelings' 
ahhh that sad day June 31th 1996 when he died

RIP KURT
Great song, but a little Nirvana goes a long way. 
This is so great, thank you!
So many great versions of this. Even Dolly did it way back with her Mammy and Pappy
 DunstanBurke wrote:
What does this version add to the original? The singing is flat and boring, the music sounds like they are only getting acquainted with their instruments. The cello is retarded.
 
What don't you get about "Unplugged"?  I m sure you never heard the original as it was Unplugged way before recording was a thing....
Kurt singing Lead Belly? How great is that? Did not know this.

From Wiki:
 
Huddie William Ledbetter
(January 23, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer, musician and songwriter notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the folk standards he introduced.

Lead Belly recorded this song half a century before Nirvana. I like both versions.
LeadbellyVersion
I was there for the whole grunge thing, but didn't get Nirvana - specifically Cobain - until seeing this live on MTV.  I get it now - but Unplugged is the only album I can enjoy.
Unpopular opinion, but this has been my favorite nirvana song since i first heard it on MTV when MTV still played music
I want to reach for Prozac every time I hear this version of the song.
 rdo wrote:
If you listen closely to Nevermind, there is a snippet of parody when Kurt sings the chorus to Come on people now smile on your brother in a grotesquely sardonic manner.  It sounds maniacal, and it's not the least bit funny.  I think that would clear up quickly any delusions anyone would have about how Kurt felt about politics.
 

Pretty sure that's Novoselic singing that bit - at least it was in the live version: 
Great scream/wail.  The pain permeates.
 sirdroseph wrote:
Fantastic Leadbelly song no matter who does it, but this is a fine performance and Kurt's very last.
It is a shame however that because of political correctness he had to change the lyrics from black girl to my girl. Black girl sounds better and is also true to Leadbelly.

 
There are many different versions of this Old Time Appalachian Folk Song. Leadbelly sang bout Black Girl. Dolly Parton and her folks and generations of hillbillies sang about My Captain, My Captain. Folk Music is designed for adaptation. Kurt made this his own here, shortly before dying
Feel like Im listening to fingers on a chalkboard...this is aweful
Superb Leadbelly tribute. Not a huge Nirvana fan but this is wonderfully sinister.
A funeral dirge. 
 jambo wrote:
had to be there

“In The Pines,” AKA “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” AKA “Black Girl,” is a traditional Appalachian folk song, nearly a century and a half old, that encompasses elements of searing heartbreak, perceived betrayal, death (by decapitation in many cases), and murder. Not to mention the fact the the song title is named after a location where “the sun don’t ever shine” and “we shiver when the cold wind blows.” Good description of SOME of the "covers" of this song.


. . .  nirvana, led to foo fighters. and what kind of world would this be without them? 

this is quite a rough song -  moves through lead belly, bill monroe, gene clark, nirvana, mark lanegan - different genres, same song. they should not sound the same do you think? 

the question of "better" is for endless debate which we love to do here thanks be to bill.
  This is why I love so much RP : usefull comments that feed both curiosity and my love of music ! Thank you all !

Brutal. Ick. 
had to be there

“In The Pines,” AKA “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” AKA “Black Girl,” is a traditional Appalachian folk song, nearly a century and a half old, that encompasses elements of searing heartbreak, perceived betrayal, death (by decapitation in many cases), and murder. Not to mention the fact the the song title is named after a location where “the sun don’t ever shine” and “we shiver when the cold wind blows.” Good description of SOME of the "covers" of this song.


. . .  nirvana, led to foo fighters. and what kind of world would this be without them? 

this is quite a rough song -  moves through lead belly, bill monroe, gene clark, nirvana, mark lanegan - different genres, same song. they should not sound the same do you think? 

the question of "better" is for endless debate which we love to do here thanks be to bill.
 Larrygrrl wrote:
Well, that was truly awful. {#Stop}

 
That's where all the beauty is. {#Notworthy}
 javelipix wrote:

Please, more Hank Williams....

And maybe the Leadbelly original?

 
Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys.
 DunstanBurke wrote:
What does this version add to the original? The singing is flat and boring, the music sounds like they are only getting acquainted with their instruments. The cello is retarded.

 
Most people probably aren't familiar with the original. I'm not even sure what you mean by "original" since the folk song predated any known recordings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Pines
 dwhayslett wrote:

We regret to inform you that you've failed your basic humanity test.

 
{#Yes}{#Clap}
What does this version add to the original? The singing is flat and boring, the music sounds like they are only getting acquainted with their instruments. The cello is retarded.
 Larrygrrl wrote:
Well, that was truly awful. {#Stop}

 
Please, more Hank Williams....

And maybe the Leadbelly original?
Sorry, Leadbelly. They tried. They failed. 

The screaming doesn't help. It's even more embarrassing that he can't conjure up the pain.

Now that's irony.
 daniel_rusk wrote:
Once an artist commits suicide I lose respect. Cant listen to nirvana anymore. Never. Life is hard for every person. What a punk-ass exit. 

 
We regret to inform you that you've failed your basic humanity test.
Well, that was truly awful. {#Stop}
Tommy Emmanuel eat your heart out.  
Ha ha....brilliant coming off Hank Williams Ramblin Man.!
I was in a posh hotel in Kanazawa, Japan, when this came live on MTV, and it made us late for our dinner reservations. Spell-binding...
 black321 wrote:
Not a big fan, but they nailed this number.

 
Agreed!  I'm bumping my 4 to a 5!
Not a big fan, but they nailed this number.
among my favorite screamers! right up there with Jay Hawkins and  John Lennon
 CrispyDruid wrote:
I miss you, Kurt. RIP.
 +1 ((


I miss you, Kurt. RIP.
Y'all ever heard this version. Dig on Dolly
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL_11kEgwV4
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Thank you for those deep and empathetic insights, Mr. Trump (or Gene Simmons?).

  
{#Roflol} you can add Keith Richards to that list, I think Keith is lobbying for a Music Critic job at FOX News with some of his comments the last few years
.
  LowPhreak wrote:

Why is it any skin off your nose if someone takes their own life? It's their existence that they had to live through and you weren't in that person's shoes. It's their decision to make, not yours or society's.

Your attitude is more punk-ass and myopic than anyone who has ever committed suicide.

  
thanks LowPhreak, I will never forget the holier than thou posers trying to make themselves look important after Cobain left us, it was sickening
 daniel_rusk wrote:
Once an artist commits suicide I lose respect. Cant listen to nirvana anymore. Never. Life is hard for every person. What a punk-ass exit. 

 
Why is it any skin off your nose if someone takes their own life? It's their existence that they had to live through and you weren't in that person's shoes. It's their decision to make, not yours or society's.

Your attitude is more punk-ass and myopic than anyone who has ever committed suicide.
 daniel_rusk wrote:
Once an artist commits suicide I lose respect. Cant listen to nirvana anymore. Never. Life is hard for every person. What a punk-ass exit.
 
Thank you for those deep and empathetic insights, Mr. Trump (or Gene Simmons?).
Once an artist commits suicide I lose respect. Cant listen to nirvana anymore. Never. Life is hard for every person. What a punk-ass exit. 
 Skydog wrote:
Sissy Spacek did a very nice job on this in that Loretta Lynn movie

 
Agreed, this is, for me, a lack-lustre version.
 boober wrote:

The last chorus when he screams.....that does it for me. He was a very talented young man with a great scream.

He died soon after this show. Very tormented.



 
Completely agree. The emotion he's about to convey in that last chorus is haunting, especially concerning what happened just a few months later. 
Sissy Spacek did a very nice job on this in that Loretta Lynn movie
If I were married to Courtney Love, I'd kill myself, too...{#Drunk}
 boober wrote:

The last chorus when he screams.....that does it for me. He was a very talented young man with a great scream.

He died soon after this show. Very tormented.



 
If he was capable of this type of expression with a Leadbelly song I really lament his passing and all of the untold talent he never exploited.
 idiot_wind wrote:
Too bad some of the band's talent and vision didn't rub off on David Grohl and the Foo Fighters; who haven't progressed at all since they formed a band way back in 1995. Every album and song basically sounds the same. But such is the shape of today's RnR.     

 
pretty much 
 
Too bad some of the band's talent and vision didn't rub off on David Grohl and the Foo Fighters; who haven't progressed at all since they formed a band way back in 1995. Every album and song basically sounds the same. But such is the shape of today's RnR.     
That is one of the most horrible sounds I've ever heard on RP.
This is one of those performances for which I really wish I'd been there.  This is amazing music.
Gimme a break from the angst. 
I shivered the whole song through.
Nirvana, huh?
 
 10th_rock wrote:
Ran for the earplugs.....gawd awful
{#Frustrated} 

 
How much does a clue cost these days, i'd gladly purchase one for you.

The last chorus when he screams.....that does it for me. He was a very talented young man with a great scream.

He died soon after this show. Very tormented.


Says more about me than the song itself, but I just don't care about this anymore.
Raw.  The way it  was meant to be (nod to Lead Belly).  The cries at the end are soul-piercing. 
 rdo wrote:

For most people the appeal of rock is as performance art.  That’s not an important aspect to me, but Cobain almost made me a believer. He was undeniable to all in his authenticity, whatever your background.   I remember very well how Nirvana took my college campus by storm.  There was a transcendent quality to their appeal.   But you can only take the world by storm once, and the moment passes.  Kurt surely felt this quite keenly, and I believe it was the source of great anxiety to him.  What would be his second act?  If you listen closely to Nevermind, there is a snippet of parody when Kurt sings the chorus to Come on people now smile on your brother in a grotesquely sardonic manner.  It sounds maniacal, and it's not the least bit funny.  I think that would clear up quickly any delusions anyone would have about how Kurt felt about politics.  So, he was not destined to be an iconic musician-prophet like Neil Young, Michael Stipe, Bono, and Thom Yorke.  Nor would he want to head down the track of mediocrity exemplified by bands like Foo Fighters.  One wonders what Nirvana would be without the performance art aspect.  I think it would have been pretty lame, eventually.  Maybe he had another album in him, but that seems unlikely.  Why do I say that?  I think we can look to his musical peers for comparison.  Radiohead is essentially a two album band (The Bends and OK Computer), with other subsequent output that is also very good.  REM peaked early too (Murmur, Reckoning, Life’s Rich Pageant), also with very good work to follow.  The difference there was these two groups relied far less on the mystique and charisma that Nirvana did, and they were more collaborative efforts.  Kurt was on top, but he was facing quite a daunting task as a second act.



 
Ramblin' Man....put a pile of 25 cent words and band names in a cup; shook them up and spilled them onto the RP Board.

...not impressed.
Ran for the earplugs.....gawd awful
{#Frustrated} 
Nirvana has exactly one halfway decent song, and this one isn't it.   A solid 2
 rdo wrote:

For most people the appeal of rock is as performance art.  That’s not an important aspect to me, but Cobain almost made me a believer. He was undeniable to all in his authenticity, whatever your background.   I remember very well how Nirvana took my college campus by storm.  There was a transcendent quality to their appeal.   But you can only take the world by storm once, and the moment passes.  Kurt surely felt this quite keenly, and I believe it was the source of great anxiety to him.  What would be his second act?  If you listen closely to Nevermind, there is a snippet of parody when Kurt sings the chorus to Come on people now smile on your brother in a grotesquely sardonic manner.  It sounds maniacal, and it's not the least bit funny.  I think that would clear up quickly any delusions anyone would have about how Kurt felt about politics.  So, he was not destined to be an iconic musician-prophet like Neil Young, Michael Stipe, Bono, and Thom Yorke.  Nor would he want to head down the track of mediocrity exemplified by bands like Foo Fighters.  One wonders what Nirvana would be without the performance art aspect.  I think it would have been pretty lame, eventually.  Maybe he had another album in him, but that seems unlikely.  Why do I say that?  I think we can look to his musical peers for comparison.  Radiohead is essentially a two album band (The Bends and OK Computer), with other subsequent output that is also very good.  REM peaked early too (Murmur, Reckoning, Life’s Rich Pageant), also with very good work to follow.  The difference there was these two groups relied far less on the mystique and charisma that Nirvana did, and they were more collaborative efforts.  Kurt was on top, but he was facing quite a daunting task as a second act.



 
Wow, good write-up...yet, this type of overindulgent analysis was likely a significant contributing factor for Cobain's self inflicted neurosis (I guess he took himself too seriously too).  It's only Rock 'n Roll, not exactly art.  If you got something to say, spit it out; if it comes out pretty great, or if its ugly that's great too.  Sincerity is about the only thing a rock musician really needs. 
 rdo wrote:

For most people the appeal of rock is as performance art.  That’s not an important aspect to me, but Cobain almost made me a believer. He was undeniable to all in his authenticity, whatever your background.   I remember very well how Nirvana took my college campus by storm.  There was a transcendent quality to their appeal.   But you can only take the world by storm once, and the moment passes.  Kurt surely felt this quite keenly, and I believe it was the source of great anxiety to him.  What would be his second act?  If you listen closely to Nevermind, there is a snippet of parody when Kurt sings the chorus to Come on people now smile on your brother in a grotesquely sardonic manner.  It sounds maniacal, and it's not the least bit funny.  I think that would clear up quickly any delusions anyone would have about how Kurt felt about politics.  So, he was not destined to be an iconic musician-prophet like Neil Young, Michael Stipe, Bono, and Thom Yorke.  Nor would he want to head down the track of mediocrity exemplified by bands like Foo Fighters.  One wonders what Nirvana would be without the performance art aspect.  I think it would have been pretty lame, eventually.  Maybe he had another album in him, but that seems unlikely.  Why do I say that?  I think we can look to his musical peers for comparison.  Radiohead is essentially a two album band (The Bends and OK Computer), with other subsequent output that is also very good.  REM peaked early too (Murmur, Reckoning, Life’s Rich Pageant), also with very good work to follow.  The difference there was these two groups relied far less on the mystique and charisma that Nirvana did, and they were more collaborative efforts.  Kurt was on top, but he was facing quite a daunting task as a second act.

 

That's some pretty heavy duty shit you just layed on me rdo!
Not a Nirvana fan, but this sure aint no bad blues.
Eek! NOT a good way to start me week. But that's just me.
 Lazarus wrote:

I remember when this was on MTV...  I lived in a hotel room back then, and everybody in my hotel room enjoyed the whole live show...  love it...
 

 

{#Lol}
 Highlowsel wrote:
Sometimes you wonder what an artist might have done if he/she'd managed to survive their personal crisis.  Would their talents and energies have expanded to encompass domains unseen?  Would they have stayed "steady state" with their artistic output?  Or declined ever so gradually into the night?  We'll never know.  It could be they simply could not contain all that was being poured into them by the artistic Gods (of your choosing) and so, like a supernova, exploded in brilliance and then faded away.  It is what it is, but what a hell-uv-a display for the time they existed, eh?

So it goes.

Highlow
American Net'Zen

 

For most people the appeal of rock is as performance art.  That’s not an important aspect to me, but Cobain almost made me a believer. He was undeniable to all in his authenticity, whatever your background.   I remember very well how Nirvana took my college campus by storm.  There was a transcendent quality to their appeal.   But you can only take the world by storm once, and the moment passes.  Kurt surely felt this quite keenly, and I believe it was the source of great anxiety to him.  What would be his second act?  If you listen closely to Nevermind, there is a snippet of parody when Kurt sings the chorus to Come on people now smile on your brother in a grotesquely sardonic manner.  It sounds maniacal, and it's not the least bit funny.  I think that would clear up quickly any delusions anyone would have about how Kurt felt about politics.  So, he was not destined to be an iconic musician-prophet like Neil Young, Michael Stipe, Bono, and Thom Yorke.  Nor would he want to head down the track of mediocrity exemplified by bands like Foo Fighters.  One wonders what Nirvana would be without the performance art aspect.  I think it would have been pretty lame, eventually.  Maybe he had another album in him, but that seems unlikely.  Why do I say that?  I think we can look to his musical peers for comparison.  Radiohead is essentially a two album band (The Bends and OK Computer), with other subsequent output that is also very good.  REM peaked early too (Murmur, Reckoning, Life’s Rich Pageant), also with very good work to follow.  The difference there was these two groups relied far less on the mystique and charisma that Nirvana did, and they were more collaborative efforts.  Kurt was on top, but he was facing quite a daunting task as a second act.


Sometimes you wonder what an artist might have done if he/she'd managed to survive their personal crisis.  Would their talents and energies have expanded to encompass domains unseen?  Would they have stayed "steady state" with their artistic output?  Or declined ever so gradually into the night?  We'll never know.  It could be they simply could not contain all that was being poured into them by the artistic Gods (of your choosing) and so, like a supernova, exploded in brilliance and then faded away.  It is what it is, but what a hell-uv-a display for the time they existed, eh?

So it goes.

Highlow
American Net'Zen
 stahlwerk wrote:
18 years later and still goosebumps. 
 

The legend grows...

I remember when this was on MTV...  I lived in a hotel room back then, and everybody in my hotel room enjoyed the whole live show...  love it...
 
Fantastic Leadbelly song no matter who does it, but this is a fine performance and Kurt's very last.
It is a shame however that because of political correctness he had to change the lyrics from black girl to my girl. Black girl sounds better and is also true to Leadbelly.
{#Cowboy} VACALACTICO
Not too shabby ...
Check out Bill Monroe's version.

An old Bluegrass standard - my father's favorite song. 
 milipili wrote:
Favorite song from Nirvana! Not usually a fan but his voice really does it for me here... everything just sounds right {#Good-vibes}
 
Huh. Didn't know it was a cover. Two more (different) versions {#Daisy}
- Mark Lanegan
- Madjo
If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. 
—Emily Dickinson
 

18 years later and still goosebumps. 
Favorite song from Nirvana! Not usually a fan but his voice really does it for me here... everything just sounds right {#Good-vibes}
sing it
 
first time i listen to nirvana on radio paradise...