Lake Ponchartrain

xLake Ponchartrain
Ludo

(Note that this is the way I play it on acoustic,
not necessarily the way Ludo does.)

Intro

(In 3/3 time. Listen to the rhythm to really get it.)

e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|



e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5~--------------------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5~--------------5---7-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3~--------------5---7-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------3---5-|





Verse

(changes to 4/4 time)

(During the verse, they play a sort of down-chuck, 
up-stroke syncopated rhythm, like

e-|---------------
a-|---------------
d-|---------------
g-|---X-7-X-7-X-7-  and so on..
b-|---X-7-X-7-X-7-
E-|---X-5-X-5-X-5-


I found a different way to play it because it sounds 
better acoustic.  I’ll give you the chords to play, 
you can decide whether to listen and figure out their 
rhythm, or find a way to play it your way.  Note that
most of the rest of this tab has no bearing to rhythm,
only the timing relative to the lyrics.)


e-|--------------------------------------------|
a-|--------------------------------------------|
d-|-----------------7--------------------------|
g-|---7-------------7----2-----------------7---|
b-|---7-------------5----2-----------------7---|
E-|---5------------------0-----------------5---|

 I’ll tell it.. and me.. few poor.. Missouri..



e-|---------------------------------------------|
a-|---------------------------------------------|
d-|-----------7---------------------------------|
g-|---7-------7-----2-----------------------7---|
b-|---7-------5-----2-----------------------7---|
E-|---5-------------0-----------------------5---|

 Took 55.. to eat.. both had crawfish.. for me



e-|------------------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------------------|
d-|-----------------------7------------------------|
g-|---7-------------------7-----------2------------|
b-|---7-------------------5-----------2------------|
E-|---5-------------------------------0------------|

      Back out.. southern soul.. interrupted.. show




e-|-----------------------------------|
a-|-----------------------------------|
d-|-------5---------------------------|
g-|-------5------2--------------------|
b-|-------3------2--------------------|
E-|--------------0--------------------|

They were sa-   -ying..



(The chorus is almost the same as the intro. )


Chorus

(back to 3/3)

e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|

      Come down.. Poncha..    Rest your.. Feed your..


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---5---7-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---5---7-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------3---5-|

      That‘s wh.. get to se.. Everythi..  Water can be.




Verse 2

(Same as verse 1 until the end.)


e-|-------------------|
a-|-------------------|
d-|-------7-----------|
g-|---7---7---2---7---|
b-|---7---5---2---7---|
E-|---5-------0---5---|


The rain was comin' down, the wind was 
howlin' outside of Slidell
It was the kinda night that makes you think 
the whole world's goin' to hell.

We got off on an exit 'cause we 
couldn't read the map so great
Near the Choctaw Motel, we 
parked to deliberate

When out of the bayou came a 
man like the lake had a tongue

e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|------2-----------------------------|
b-|------2-----------------------------|
E-|------0-----------------------------|

He was right up on the glass, all 
yellow-eyed, black teeth,

e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|---5--------------------------------|
g-|---5--------------------------------|
b-|---3--------------------------------|
E-|------------------------------------|

 
      bangin' on the windshield
screamin' like a demon at the 

e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2----2---2---2~------------------|
b-|---2----2---2---2~------------------|
E-|---0----0---0---0~------------------|

     top of his lungs,



Chorus 2


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|

      Come down.. Poncha..    Rest your.. Feed your..


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|

      Free for..  All your..  Crawfish..  Bitter end..


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|

      Come down.. Poncha..    Wade to..   Shallows break..


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---5---7-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---5---7-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------3---5-|

      That’s..    get to..    Everything..Water can be..



Verse 3

(starts with no chords: )


I was driving out of there 

e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|----------------7-------------------|
g-|----------------7-------------------|
b-|----------------5-------------------|
E-|------------------------------------|

As fast as a Camry could.. 


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2------------------------7-------|
b-|---2------------------------7-------|
E-|---0------------------------5-------|

    ..Interstate.. through the woods..


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|----------------------7-------------|
g-|---7------------------7-------------|
b-|---7------------------5-------------|
E-|---5--------------------------------|

      Bad move..  in the rain..


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2-------------------------2------|
b-|---2-------------------------2------|
E-|---0-------------------------0------|

    ..Stood on my brakes when I saw the sign


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2----2---2----2~-----------------|
b-|---2----2---2----2~-----------------|
E-|---0----0---0----0~-----------------|

      Lake Pon-char-train..

e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---7--------------------------------|
b-|---7--------------------------------|
E-|---5--------------------------------|

      Darius was yelling that he
saw somebody out in the swells
he jumped out running and 


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2-------------------7------------|
b-|---2-------------------7------------|
E-|---0-------------------5------------|

      Noland was going as well
“Come back!”  Why the hell would they


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|-------7----------------------------|
g-|-------7----------------------------|
b-|-------5----------------------------|
E-|------------------------------------|

leave the car?


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2-------------2------------------|
b-|---2-------------2------------------|
E-|---0-------------0------------------|

      That’s when.. make no mistake


e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|----2--------2----2---2---7---------|
b-|----2--------2----2---2---7---------|
E-|----0--------0----0---0---5---------|

   The Voices.. Un- -der the lake


(Back to the 3/3 time for the “aah” portion)


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|




e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|----7-------------------------------|
g-|----7-------------------------------|
b-|----5-------------------------------|
E-|------------------------------------|

       Come down to Lake Ponchartrain,
       Come down to Lake Ponchartrain,
       Come down to Lake Ponchartrain,
       Come down to Lake Ponchartrain,


(Stays in 3/3 time for the final verse)


e-|-------------------|
a-|-------------------|
d-|-------7-----------|
g-|---7---7---2---7---|
b-|---7---5---2---7---|
E-|---5-------0---5---|

The crawfish were screaming, 
the waves danced in time
My friends went in deeper, 
the water, it climbed
I watched in terror, 
the lake opened wide
And horribly roaring, 
it pulled them inside.


(The progression then changes to: )


e-|-------------------|
a-|-------------------|
d-|---7---------------|
g-|---7---7---2---7---|
b-|---5---7---2---7---|
E-|-------5---0---5---|

That's how it happened, 
why would I lie?
There were no bodies, 
I've got none to hide
I'm just a boy, lost his 
friends in the rain,

e-|------------------------------------|
a-|------------------------------------|
d-|------------------------------------|
g-|---2--------2-----------------------|
b-|---2--------2-----------------------|
E-|---0--------0-----------------------|

      Any more question, just

e-|--------------------------------------|
a-|--------------------------------------|
d-|--------------------------------------|
g-|---2----------2-----------------------|
b-|---2----------2-----------------------|
E-|---0----------0-----------------------|

      go and ask Lake Ponchar-



e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5-5---5---5-5---------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5-5---5---5-5---2---2-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3-3---3---3-3---2---2-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------0---0-|

      Train.


e-|-------------------------------------------------|
a-|-------------------------------------------------|
d-|---------------------------5~--------------------|
g-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---5~--------------5---7-|
b-|---7-7---7---7-7---2---2---3~--------------5---7-|
E-|---5-5---5---5-5---0---0-------------------3---5-|