16. “In the Pines” / “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” / “My Girl” / “Black Girl” / “Black Gal”
is a traditional American folk song most often attributed to Huddie Ledbetter/Leadbelly/Lead Belly. Researchers have found 160 variations of the song, which included performances by musicians as diverse as Bill Monroe and Nirvana. The stories behind the song are as varied as its many titles and performers. Some account a runaway slave girl that was found the next morning by her slave master; others have the girl, working in a coal mine, decapitated by a train; while others say that the girl was raped and that her assailant was the person who was decapitated. What is most surprising is how a song referencing such a terrible story could be so beautiful.