Phiên bản được in đầu tiên vào năm 1917:
- Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me
Where did you stay last night?I stayed in the pines where the sun never shinesAnd shivered when the cold wind blows.
Leadbelly đã tạo nên 2 phiên bản khác nhau của bài hát này. Một bài dài hơn tên là Black Girl và phiên bản kia có tên là Where Did You Sleep Last Night.
Phiên bản "Black Girl" của Leadbelly:
- Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me,
Tell me where did you sleep lastnight?In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines,I would shiver the whole night through.
- Black girl, black girl, where will you go?
I'm goin' where the cold wind blowsIn the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines,I would shiver the whole night through
- Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me,
Tell me where did you sleep lastnight?In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines,I would shiver the whole night through
- My husband was a real old man,
Killed a mile and a half from hereHis head was found in a driver's wheel,And his body haven't never been found
- Black girl, black girl, where will you go?
I'm goin' where the cold wind blowsYou caused me to weep, and you caused me to moan,You caused me to leave my home
Phiên bản "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" của Leadbelly:
- 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 shineI would shiver the whole night through.
- 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 shineI would shiver the whole night through.
- 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 shineI would shiver the whole night through.
(Shiver for me now).
(Uh-huh).
(What happened down there?)
- My husband was a hard-working man
Killed a mile and a half from here
(What happened to him?)
His head was found in a driver wheelAnd his body haven't never, never been found.
- 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 shineI would shiver the whole night through.
Phiên bản của Kurt Cobain
- 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 shineI would shiver the whole night through.
- Her husband was a hard-working man
Just about a mile from hereHis head was found in the driver's wheelBut his body never was found.
- My girl, my girl, where will you go?
I'm going where the cold wind blowsIn the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shineI would shiver the whole night through.
Một vài phiên bản của bài hát còn đề cập đến một tai tạn tàu hoả tiền định với những dòng sau "The longest train I ever saw/ Went down the Georgia line"; sự đa dạng này còn làm cho lời bài hát được viết thành "The Longest Train":
- The Longest train I ever saw
Went down that Georgia lineThe engine passed at 6 o'clockThe cab passed by at 9.
- In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines
And we shiver when the cold wind blows.
- I asked my captain for the time of day
He said he throwed his watch awayA long steel rail and a short crosstieI'm on my way back home.
- Little girl, little girl, what have I done
That makes you treat me so?You caused me to weep, you caused me to moanYou caused me to leave my home.
