The Lakes Of Pontchartrain

Capo 6 G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G 'Twas on one bright March mornin' I bid New Orleans adieu G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Cadd9 And I took the road to Jackson town, me fortune to renew Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Em7 D/F# Cadd9 I cursed all foreign money, no credit could I gain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G Which filled me heart with longing for the lakes of Pontchartrain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G I stepped on board of a railroad car beneath the morning sun G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Cadd9 I rode the road 'til evening and I laid me down again Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Em7 D/F# Cadd9 All strangers there, no friends to me, 'til a dark girl towards me came G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G And I fell in love with a Creole girl by the lakes of Pontchartrain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G I said, "My pretty Creole girl, me money here's no good G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Cadd9 If it weren't for the alligators, I'd sleep out in the wood" Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Em7 D/F# Cadd9 "You're welcome here, kind stranger, our house, it's very plain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G But we never turn a stranger out from the lakes of Pontchartrain" G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G She took me to her mammy's house and treated me right well G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Cadd9 The hair upon her shoulders in jet-black ringlets fell Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Em7 D/F# Cadd9 To try and paint her beauty, I'm sure 'twould be in vain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G So handsome was my Creole girl by the lakes of Pontchartrain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G And I asked her if she'd marry me, she'd said it could never be G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Cadd9 For she had got another, and he was far at sea Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Em7 D/F# Cadd9 She said that she would wait for him and true she would remain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G 'Til he returned for his Creole girl by the lakes of Pontchartrain G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G So fare thee well, me bonny own girl, I never will see no more G D/F# Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Cadd9 But I'll ne'er forget your kindness in the cottage by the shore Em7 Cadd9 G D/F# Em7 D/F# Cadd9 And at each social gathering a flowing glass I'll raise G Cadd9 D/F# Em7 Cadd9 D/F# G And I'll drink a health to me Creole girl and the lakes of Pontchartrain