<P> "In the Pines", also known as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" and "Black Girl", is a traditional American folk song originating from two songs, "In the Pines" and "The Longest Train", both of whose authorship is unknown and date back to at least the 1870s (though some contend an older, Irish history). The songs originated in the Southern Appalachian area of the United States in the contiguous areas of Eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia . </P> <P> Versions of the song have been recorded by many artists in numerous genres, but it is most often associated with American bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and American Blues musician Lead Belly, both of whom recorded very different versions of the song in the 1940s and 1950s . </P> <P> A version of the song performed by The Four Pennies reached the UK top - twenty in 1964 . A live performance by the American grunge band Nirvana reinterpreted Lead Belly's version and was recorded during their MTV Unplugged performance in 1993 . </P> <P> Like numerous other folk songs, "In the Pines" was passed on from one generation and locale to the next by word of mouth . The first printed version of the song, compiled by Cecil Sharp, appeared in 1917, and comprised just four lines and a melody . The lines are: </P>

My girl where did you sleep last night lyrics