Here is Christy's version of this traditional song, very nicely done by Christy on 'The Has Come' album and probably my favourite version of this song. Fairly straightfoward, I improvise my own fingerpicking pattern for it rather than it exactly as Christy does. C C/B Am G F C It was one fine March morning I bid New Orleans adieu C C/B Am G C F And I took the road to Jackson town, my fortune to renew C C/B Am G C F I cursed all foreign money, no credit could I gain C C/B Am G C Which filled me heart with longing for the lakes of Ponchartrain I stepped on board of a railroad car beneath the morning sun I rode the rods till evening and I laid me down again All strangers there no friends to me till a dark girl towards me came And I fell in love with my Creole girl by the lakes of Ponchartrain I said My pretty Creole girl, my money here's no good If it weren't for the alligators, I'd sleep out in the wood You're welcome here, kind stranger, our house is very plain But we never turned a stranger out by the lakes of Ponchartrain She took me into her Mammy's house, and treated me right well The hair upon her shoulders in jet black ringlets fell To try and paint her beauty, Im sure twould be in vain So handsome was my Creole girl by the lakes of Ponchartrain I asked her if she'd marry me, She said that never could be For she had got a lover and he was far at sea She said that she would wait for him and true she would remain Till he'd return to his Creole girl on the lakes of Ponchartrain Its fare thee well, me Creole girl, I never may see you more I'll never forget your kindness in the cottage by the shore And at each social gathering, a flowing bowl I'll drain And I'll drink a health to my Creole girl by the lakes of Ponchartrain ============ ==s6k Tabs== ============