Nirvana: Where Did You Sleep Last Night? Meaning

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Where Did You Sleep Last Night? Lyrics

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My girl, my girl, dont lie to me
Tell me, where did you sleep last night?
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun dont ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

My girl, my girl, where will you go?
Im going where the cold wind...

1.  

   anonymous

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   Sep 28th, 9:43pm report

   
   

   So I think its interesting how I've looked through interpretations and no ones had this explanation...
   
   To me, and I believe probably to Kurt, he saw the song as a metaphor to heroin. My girl was originally black girl, and kurt as we all know was deep into heroin around that time. Mexican heroin is referred to as "black" which is Seattle's main type. Then he goes on to say where did you sleep last night. In the pines sun dont ever shine I would shiver the whole night.
   
   I think the song is mostly about not being able to score some black. The pines are the pins and needles you feel from withdrawal as well as the shivers and the sun never shines relates to how depressed you are during the comedown. As soon as I heard these lyrics I assumed it was about heroin. I used to be an addict myself so this speaks volumes to me.
   
   P.s. dont know about the mans head. Maybe some horrible accident while high?

   
   
   
   

2.  

   anonymous

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   Aug 28th, 8:58pm report

   
   

   Asking "her" where she slept last night..yes "her" how sad for Kurt. Listen to the song on Mtv unplugged..seemed pretty emotional..

   
   
   
   

3.  

   anonymous

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   Jun 9th, 6:35pm report

   
   

   To me it sounds like there is a woman who had an upstanding husband and someone is
   questioning where she slept when this accident took place, sounds like he's suggesting she'll be sleeping in the pines (old coffins were pine) and to shiver in a cold grave for whatever she is suspected of doing.

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

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   May 30th, 5:03am report

   
   

   The song says alot. So do alot of Kurt's songs. Listen to the words. How sad. Case needs reopened.Case needs reopened! Period.

   
   
   
   

5.  

   anonymous

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   May 30th, 5:34am report

   
   

   I think we all know why he sang that. Nothing to do with suicide..face it we all know who that song was aimed at and she does too

   
   
   
   

6.  

   anonymous

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   Mar 12th, 2019 3:41pm report

   
   

   I thought the songs lyric is "in the past" which she had previously forgotten.

   
   
   
   

7.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 27th, 2018 11:00am report

   
   

   I always thought the song sounded like it involved a murder. The girl cheated on her husband with the singer, he fell in love with her and either she kllled her husband or he helped kill him. Now she’s cheating on him and he’s thinking she will do the same thing to him. He risked everything for her, now she is betraying him just like she betrayed her husband.

   
   
   
   

8.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 27th, 2018 11:54am report

   
   

   I always thought the song sounded like it involved a murder. The girl cheated on her husband with the singer, he fell in love with her and either she kllled her husband or he helped kill him. Now she’s cheating on him and he’s thinking she will do the same thing to him. Such a powerful performance.

   
   
   
   

9.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 10th, 2018 11:28am report

   
   

   I love the nirvana version of this song.. extremely emotional and moves everybody.. I think this song is about a man who falls victim to his drug taking partners erractic abusive life and he finds himself in the pines to distance himself .. he truly loves her and can’t stand to see her in such a destructive state.. I think the pines is a place of comfort where he feels centred. .

   
   
   
   

10.  

    anonymous

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    Nov 18th, 2016 11:38pm report

    
    

    The girl sleeps with another guy while he is at work.he caught her so her husband was in deep pain that he commit suicide on his work..'in pines where the sun dont ever shine i would shiver the whole nigt through'its just an excuse for the girl so that she could win him...why would one sadly say where do you sleep last to his wife'in case they dont hav a home or a bed..his wife turns to black girl cauz she flirts him..to show how much her husband love for her instead of black girl kurt knew the author's feelings hurt so he turns to 'my girl'

    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    Oct 16th, 2016 10:40am report

    
    

    From Kurt Cobain: Please let me rest in peace. This song, like everything I wrote was open to the interpretation of the listener first and foremost... and any resemblance to specific meaning is none of your damn business. It was what it was, words that evolved until they felt right. Anymore in-depth analysis and you might as well be shuffling tarot cards and applying calculus to numerology. Thanks, now go away!

    
    
    
    

12.  

    anonymous

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    Jan 14th, 2016 1:01pm report

    
    

    I think Nirvana re-wrote the song the way they did was because of Courtney Love cheating on Kurt Cobain, which I also suspect is part of the reason for his suicide, along with the pressure of his growing fame.

    
    
    
    

13.  

    anonymous

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    Oct 10th, 2015 10:13am report

    
    

    In my point of view i think kurt choose this song because of hes suicide in a way he lowkey put it there cause of the he feels "in going where the cold wind blows" he wants to die cause the way he sings it, but its my point of view of the song.

    
    
    
    

14.  

    Ralto

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    Sep 26th, 2014 9:58pm report

    
    

    The original lyrics were:
    Black girl, black girl, don't lie to me
    Where did you stay last night?
    I stayed in the pines where the sun never shines
    And shivered when the cold wind blows"
    
    Supposedly about someone waiting for someone else - the reasons/emotions/storylines are as many as you can think about.

    
    
    
    

15.  

    secretretar

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    Jul 11th, 2014 7:08am report

    
    

    When Kurt made his first good amount of money he bought a mansion on tolt highlands road in carnation washington! I have been in the woods around his old house (all pines)This house ends up being the place he hide from is wife kourtney love for years and did drugs hints (shivering) ! While driving away from this house i have seen dark figures up and down the road ! I live a few miles away and i have heard stories about the property I live on! In the property records there has been one death! I was told that a man killed himself in his truck down at the bottom of my property By Putting a tube from the exhaust into the cab and sophicating from carbon monoxide! As the legend gone His wife did not find him tell his body was takin by something headlined in the (steering wheel)! (Maybe bigfoot)