musichistory: “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Lead Belly...

musichistory:

“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Lead Belly [1944]

“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” (most commonly under the title “In the Pines”) stands as one of the most enduring songs in the American folk tradition. Surviving—no, thriving—through dozens of stylistic changes, the song has been sung and recorded under various titles from at least the 1870s. Most listeners in their 20s and 30s recognize it from Nirvana’s live MTV Unplugged show and subsequent album. This Lead Belly recording for the Musicraft label in 1944 is the one that inspired Cobain’s version. See this 1994 New York Times article for an in depth history of the song.