Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Leadbelly Lyrics


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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 you 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 husband, was a hard working man
Killed a mile and a half from here
His head was found in a driving wheel
And his body hasn't ever been found

My girl, my girl, don't you 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

Overall Meaning

Leadbelly's song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is a haunting and melancholic exploration of love, loss, and suspicion. The primary focus of the song is on a lover's inquiry into where their partner has been sleeping. Each verse sees the lover pleading with their partner to tell them the truth about where they have been spending their nights, all while emphasizing the cold and desolate setting in which the partner claims to have been sleeping: "in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine."


As the song progresses, the tone shifts from one of desperate curiosity to one of ominous foreboding. The final verse reveals that the singer's husband has been killed, his head found in a driving wheel, while his body remains missing. Suddenly, the song takes on new meaning; the lover's questioning becomes increasingly urgent, as they realize that their somewhat cold and guarded partner may have been involved in the husband's disappearance.


The song's vivid imagery and evocative language make it a powerful and memorable work of art that has resonated with listeners for years. Its portrayal of love, loss, and betrayal speaks to universal human experiences and continues to captivate new generations of music lovers.


Line by Line Meaning

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
The singer is telling his significant other that he wants the truth.


Tell me where did you sleep last night
The singer is asking his significant other where she slept the previous night.


In the pines, in the pines
The significant other responds with the location where she slept the night before.


Where the sun don't ever shine
The location is in a place where the sun does not reach.


I would shiver the whole night through
The artist would be cold if he were to sleep in such a place.


My girl, my girl, where will you go
The singer is asking where his significant other will be going.


I'm going where the cold wind blows
His significant other responds with a location where it is cold and windy.


My husband, was a hard working man
The artist is introducing his late husband, stating that he was a hardworking man.


Killed a mile and a half from here
The husband was killed near the location where the artist and his significant other are currently.


His head was found in a driving wheel
The husband was involved in a fatal accident where his head was found in the wheel of the vehicle.


And his body hasn't ever been found
The husband's body was never found after the accident.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Sasha-fn6dv

[Verse 1]
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me, where did you sleep last night?
(Come on and tell me baby)
In the pines, in the pines where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

[Verse 2]
My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blows
(Where’s that, baby?)
In the pines, in the pines where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

[Verse 3]
My girl, my girl, don't you lie to me
Tell me, where did you sleep last night?
(Come on and tell me something about it)
In the pines, in the pines where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through
(Shiver for me now)

[Verse 4]
Her husband, was a hard working man
Killed a mile and half from here (what happened to him?)
His head was found in a driving wheel
And his body has never been found
[Verse 5]
My girl, my girl, don't you 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



@hailerodrigues9858

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
The sun, shine
I would shiver the whole night through



@Johnpq

Lyrics :


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 you 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 husband, was a hard working man
Killed a mile and a half from here
His head was found in a driving wheel
And his body hasn't ever been found


My girl, my girl, don't you 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



All comments from YouTube:

@evanisovich

Back in 2003, I went to visit my grandma in her rest home. She didn’t remember me, my brother, or even my father (her son). She was confused why we were there. She taught me many old blues and folk songs as a child, including this one. I started singing “My girl, my girl...” she immediately joined in, “don’t you lie to me/tell me where did you sleep last night..” We sang a couple of more bars before she asked “Young man, where did you learn that song?” I said, “You, grandma. You taught me that song.”

She looked over to the caretaker and said “This kid is trying to trick me!”

It was the last time I ever saw Grandma Rose. I miss her so much. ❤️

@chrisbeedleston8338

That's a beautiful story. Shows the power of music also ❤

@KingRiverVlogs

That’s beautiful

@lyndamancia1189

It sounds like your grandma must have been a nice lady

@lyndamancia1189

Such a precious anecdote thank you for sharing

@barbarablonsky7521

evanisovich ❤️❤️❤️❤️

315 More Replies...

@thelegendofthewestgameplay7494

This man deserves to be in the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

@thelegendofthewestgameplay7494

@@strickefuernazis Oh damn.

@akshitaemani

@@thelegendofthewestgameplay7494 ahh I see. The conundrums of the English language...

27 More Replies...

@kolomgorov

When I was growing up, I was so in love with Nirvana's cover, I remember listening to it over and over again. It's nice to discover where it originally came from so many years later!

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