It[G] was on one[D] fine March[C] morning, <br />[Em]when[G] I bid New[D] Orleans a[G]dieu, <br />[G]and I was on[D] the road to[C] Jackson[Em] town, <br />[G]my fortunes to[C] renew, <br />I[G] cursed[D] all foreign[C] money,,[Em] <br />[G]no credit[C] could I gain, <br />[G]which filled my[D] heart with[C] longing for, <br />[Em]the[G] lakes of[D] Pontcha[G]rtrain <br /> <br />I stepped aboard a railway train <br />beneath the morning sun. <br />I rode the rails ‘til evening <br />and lay me down again. <br />All strangers there, no friends to me, <br />‘til a dark girl towards me came. <br />And I fell in love with a Creole girl <br />on the Lakes of Pontchartrain. <br /> <br /> <br />I said "my pretty creol girl, <br />My money here's no good, <br />If it weren't for the alligators, <br />I would sleep out in the wood, <br />your welcome here, kind stranger <br />our house is very plain, <br />but we never turn a stranger out <br />on the lakes of Pontchartrain" <br /> <br />she took me to her mamma's house, <br />and treated me right well, <br />her hair upon here shoulders, <br />in jet black ringlets fell, <br />to try to preen here beauty <br />I'm sure would be in vain <br />so hansome was my creol girl <br />on the lakes of Pontchartrain <br /> <br />I asked her would she marry me, <br />and she it never would be, <br />while she had got a lover, <br />and he was off at sea <br />she said that she would wait for him <br />and faithful she remained <br />waiting for her sailor <br />on the lakes of Pontchartrain <br /> <br />she value well my bonny old girl. <br />Ill never see you no more <br />I wont forget your kindness <br />in that cottage by the shore <br />and at every social gathering <br />a golden glass I'll drain, <br />and drink the health to the creol girl <br />on the lakes of Pontchartrain.
