Black Girl / In The Pines

Black Girl / In The Pines – Nirvana / Leadbelly

I know that Nirvana doesn’t sing the words “Black Girl.” Somesay Leadbelly was the original songwriter, but the original publication of any version of this song was actually before Leadbelly and it was called “Black Girl” as he sings in one of his versions. It’s a about a white man who falls in love with a black woman whose husband was killed on the railroad. There are many versions of lyrics to the song. This version I have in E, using an A Harp.

E A G

-7 6 -7 -8 -8 -8 7 6 -7b

Black Girl, Black Girl, don’t lie – to me.

B Em

7 7 -8 -8 7 -7b -7 6

Tell me where did you sleep last night?

Em

-7b -7b 6 6 6 -8

In The Pines, In The Pines,

A G

-8 -8 -8 7 7 -7b 6 -7b

where the sun – don’t ev – er shine.

B Em

7 7 -8 -8 7 -7b -7 6

I would shiver the whole night through.

Black Girl, Black Girl, where will you go?

I’m going where the cold wind blows.

In The Pines, In The Pines,

where th sun don’t ever shine.

I would shiver the whole night through.

Here 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.

Black Girl, Black Girl, where will you go?

I’m going where the cold wind blows.

In The Pines, In The Pines,

where th sun don’t ever shine.

I would shiver the whole night through.