Capo 6 

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'Twas on one bright March mornin' I bid New Orleans adieu 
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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 


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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 
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But we never turn a stranger out from the lakes of Pontchartrain" 


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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