The Lakes Of Pontchartrain Live chords by Aoife O'Donovan

• Capo on 4th
• Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

Performance: Live from Here with Chris Thile

Key: B

Song: The Lakes of Pontchartrain
Artist: Aoife O'Donovan

Capo 4th Fret

Verse 1:
G      G/F#             Em    C    G        D     G
It was one bright March morning I bid New Orleans adieu
      G        G/F#    Em      C        G       D     C
And I took the road to Jackson town, my fortune to renew
   G         D       Em  D     G        D       C
I cursed all foreign money, no credit could I gain
       G        G/F#       Em      C       G        D        G
Which filled my heart with longing for the lakes of Pontchartrain

Verse 2:
  G           G/F#      Em        C          G     D       G
I stepped on board of a railroad car in the early  morning sun
   G        G/F#      Em      C      G       D     C
I rode the roads till evening and I laid me down again
     G         D       Em         D          G         D          C
All strangers there no friends to me till a  dark girl towards me came
       G       G/F#        Em      C          G       D        G
And I fell in love with a Creole girl by the lakes of Pontchartrain

Verse 3:
   G      G/F#    Em    C        G     D         G
I said My lovely Creole girl, my money here's no good
       G               G/F# Em  C      G      D            C
If it weren't for  the alligators, I'd sleep out in the woods
       G       D          Em   D        G        D     C
You're welcome here, kind stranger, our house is very plain
       G     G/F#     Em    C             G        D        G
But we never turned a stranger out by the lakes of Pontchartrain

Verse 4:
     G      G/F#   Em        C         G      D         G
She took me to her Mammy's house, and treated me right well
     G    D       Em    D      G         D         C
The hair upon her shoulders in jet black ringlets fell
   G        D        Em  D         G      D     C
To try and paint her beauty, would surely be in vain
    G       G/F#    Em      C          G       D        G
So charming was my Creole girl on the lakes of Pontchartrain

Verse 5:
  G         G/F#     Em    C         G       D         G
I asked her if she'd marry me, She said than can never be
     G       D    Em  D     G      D       C
For she had got a lover and he was far at sea
     G         D             Em       D       G       D     C
She promised that she would wait for him and true she would remain
     G     G/F#         Em      C          G         D        G
Till he'd return to his Creole girl on the lakes of Pontchartrain

Instrumental:

    G        G/F#     Em     C          G     D          G
    G        D        Em  D      G      D       C
    G        D        Em  D      G      D       C
    G       G/F#      Em     C          G     D           G

Verse 6:
     G        G/F#     Em    C          G     D          G
So fare thee well, my bonny girl, I'll never see you no more
      G        D            Em  D          G       D       C
But I'll ne'er forget your kindness in the cottage by the shore
    G        D      Em    D      G      D            C
And at every social gathering, a flowing glass I'll raise
          G           G/F#         Em      C          G        D           G
And I'll drink to the health of my Creole girl by the lakes of Pontchartrain