From: bhutchinson@cix.compulink.co.uk ("Barry Hutchinson")

I first heard this tune many years ago, beautifully sung by Paul Brady 
against a simple guitar and whistle accompaniment, and fell in love with 
it immediately. (If anyone can tell me which album that was, or anything 
more about the song, I'd be very grateful). The lyrics are as wonderful 
as the tune, including the immortal line "and if it weren't for the 
alligators, I'd sleep out in the woods". I've since heard versions by 
Planxty and Martin Simpson, neither of which comes close.

The following is just an approximation of the melody as rendered by 
Brady. Any comments very welcome.

Best wishes,

Barry

                        =========================          
                        The Lakes Of Ponchartrain
                        =========================

Traditional
Arranged by Barry Hutchinson
(bhutchinson@cix.compulink.co.uk)

Open G tuning (DGDGBD)

      e        h  q     h  q     e  e  e  e  e  e                         
D ||-----||----------|--------|-----------0--------|--------------------
B ||-----||-------5--|--3--5--|--0-----------0-----|--------------------
G ||--0--||*---0--0--|--0--0--|-----2-----------2--|--------------------
D ||-----||*---0-----|--------|--------0-----------|--------------------
G ||-----||----0--5--|--4--5--|--------------------|--------------------
D ||-----||----------|--------|--0-----------------|--------------------
            arp.                                                        

  q  e  e    q^      e  e  e  e  e e     e  e  e  e  e  e               
--------0---------|--------0----------|--------0-----------|------------
------------------|-----------0-------|--------------------|------------
2/4--------2h4p2--|--0----------------|--0--------0--0-----|------------
-----0------------|-----2--------2h4--|-----------------0--|------------
--0--------4------|--5----------------|-----5--------5-----|------------
------------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------
                                                                        

q  q   q     Q  e  e  e     q  e    s s  q     e e  q  q                
----------|-----------0--|--0------h2p0-----|--0h2-----4--|-------------
-------0--|--1-----1-----|---------------0--|-------------|-------------
----------|-----0--------|--0---------------|--5----------|-------------
---7---0--|--2-----------|--5---------------|--4----------|-------------
0---------|--------------|-----0------------|-------------|-------------
---10-----|--------------|------------------|-------0-----|-------------
                                                                        

 e  e  e  e  e  e     q  q  q      q  e  e  e  e     e e  q  q           
-5-----------5-----|--4-----2--|---0--------------|----------0--|-------
-3--3-----3-----3--|-----------|---0-----0--------|--0h1--------|-------
-4-----4-----------|--2-----0--|---0-----------0--|----------0--|-------
-2-----------------|--0--------|------0-----------|--0h2--------|-------
-------------------|--------5--|---4--------0-----|-------0-----|-------
-------------------|-----0-----|------------------|-------------|-------
arp.                              arp.                                  

Q  e  e  e     e  s  s  e  e  q     q  e    s s  q     e e  q  q        
---0--------|-----------0--------|--0------h2p0-----|--0h2-----4--|-----
5-----5-----|--------5-----------|---------------0--|-------------|-----
0--------0--|-----0--------0-----|--0---------------|--5----------|-----
------------|--4--------------4--|--5---------------|--4----------|-----
5-----------|--------------------|-----0------------|-------------|-----
------------|--------------------|------------------|-------0-----|-----
                                                                        

 e  e  e  e  e  e     q  q  q      q  e  e  e  e     e e  q  q           
-5-----------5-----|--4-----2--|---0--------------|----------0--|-------
-3--3-----3-----3--|-----------|---0-----0--------|--0h1--------|-------
-4-----4-----------|--2-----0--|---0-----------0--|----------0--|-------
-2-----------------|--0--------|------0-----------|--0h2--------|-------
-------------------|--------5--|---4--------0-----|-------0-----|-------
-------------------|-----0-----|------------------|-------------|-------
arp.                              arp.                                  

Q  e  e  e     e  s  s  e  e  e e      h  q     h  q                    
---0--------|-----------0----------|---------|--------|-----------------
5-----5-----|--------5-------------|------5--|--3--5--|-----------------
0--------0--|-----0--------0-------|---0--0--|--0--0--|-----------------
------------|--4--------------4p0--|---0-----|--------|-----------------
5-----------|----------------------|---0--5--|--4--5--|-----------------
------------|----------------------|---------|--------|-----------------
                                      arp.                              

e  e  e  e  e  e       q  e  e    q^      e  e  e  e  e e               
---------0--------|----------0---------|--------0----------|------------
0-----------0-----|--------------------|-----------0-------|------------
---2-----------2--|--2/4--------2h4p2--|--0----------------|------------
------0-----------|-------0------------|-----2--------2h4--|------------
------------------|----0--------4------|--5----------------|------------
0-----------------|--------------------|-------------------|------------
                                                                        

e  e  e  e  e  e     q  e  e  e e     Q  e  e  e                         
------0-----------|----------------|-----0--------|----------------------
------------------|-----0-----0h1--|--0-----0-----|----------------------
0--------0--0-----|--------0-------|-----------0--|----------------------
---------------0--|-----0-----0h2--|--0-----------|----------------------
---5--------5-----|--0-------------|--------------|----------------------
------------------|----------------|--------------|----------------------
                                                                        

  e  e  e  e  e  e     q  e  e  e  e       e  e  e  e  e  e             
-----------0-----0--|--------0--------|-------------0--------|----------
--------------5-----|-----------0-----|-------------------0--|----------
-----0--------------|--------------0--|-------0--------5-----|----------
--------0-----------|-----0-----------|----------0-----------|----------
2/5-----------------|--0--------------|--2/5-----------------|----------
--------------------|-----------------|----------------------|----------
                                                                        

q  e  e  e  e       e  e  e  e  e  e     q  e  e  e  e                  
------------0--|-------------0-----0--|--------0--------|---------------
---------0-----|----------------5-----|-----------0-----|---------------
------0--------|-------0--------------|--------------0--|---------------
---0-----------|----------0-----------|-----0-----------|---------------
0--------------|--2/5-----------------|--0--------------|---------------
---------------|----------------------|-----------------|---------------
                                                                        

  e  e  e  e  e  e     q  e  e  e  e                                    
-----------0--------|--------------0---||-------------------------------
-----------------0--|-----------0------||-------------------------------
-----0--------5-----|--------0--------*||-------------------------------
--------0-----------|-----0-----------*||-------------------------------
2/5-----------------|--0---------------||-------------------------------
--------------------|------------------||-------------------------------
                                                                        



========================================================================
==                       TABLATURE EXPLANATION                        ==
========================================================================

----------                            
----5h8--- Hammeron                 
----------                          
----5p8--- Pulloff                   

----------                          
----5/8--- Slide Up                   
----------                            
----58--- Slide Down               

||------|| Repeat Start & End
||*----*||
||*----*||
||------||

Rhythm:
  w = whole note            W = dotted whole
  h = half note             H = dotted half
  q = quarter note          Q = dotted quarter
  e = eighth note           E = dotted eighth
  s = sixteenth note        S = dotted sixteenth
  ^ = triplet

General:
  arp. = arpeggio

========================================================================
==       Created with a shareware version of the BUCKET 'O TAB        ==
==              tablature creation software for Windows               ==
==                       For more information:                        ==
==                      email: gse@ocsystems.com                      ==
==  US Mail: The Bucket, 3176-B5 Summit Square Dr., Oakton, VA 22124  ==
========================================================================