It was one fine March morning I bid New Orleans adieu And I took the road to Jackson town, my fortune to renew. I cursed all foreign money, no credit could I gain, 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, "Me pretty Creole girl, me 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, from such sad thoughts refrain, For me Mammy welcomes strangers 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 ne'er 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 neer 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.

I'll tell it like it happened, it was Darius and Noland and me Just a few po' boys trying to get up outta Missouri Took 55 to Louisiana, stopped by the highway to eat They both had crawfish, strictly chicken for me Back out under thunderheads, the radio was Southern soul They interrupted Clarence Carter with a strange-ass local show They were sayin': "Come down to Lake Pontchartrain Rest your soul and feed your brain That's where you will get to see everything the water can be" 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 He was right up on the glass, all yellow-eyed, black teeth, bangin' on the windshield Screamin' like a demon at the top of his lungs: "Come down to Lake Pontchartrain Rest your soul and feed your brain Free for you and all your friends, crawfish 'til the bitter end Come down to Lake Pontchartrain Wade to where the shallows break That's where you will get to see everything the water can be" I was driving out of there as fast as a Camry could But the interstate was flooded and I had to take the road through the woods Bad move in retrospect, the road disappeared in the rain And I stood on the brakes when I saw the sign: "Lake Pontchartrain..." Darius was yelling that he saw somebody out in the swells He jumped out runnin' and Noland was goin' as well "Come back!" Why the hell would they leave the car? And that's when I heard it, make no mistake - The voices were calling them from under the lake: "Come down to Lake Pontchartrain... Come down to Lake Pontchartrain... Come down to Lake Pontchartrain... Come down to Lake Pontchartrain..." 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 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 Any more questions, just go and ask Lake Pontchartrain

I open my eyes up There's somebody sleepin' in the bed next to mine But I don't recognize them Couple nurses comin' in the room to check on me And maybe shed light, tell me where I am My legs are too long for the twin size bed She said I need rest, time to take my meds It's gonna be a long 30 days ahead I went for my phone, but it's gone She said the staff searched everything I own They confiscate my razor, my cologne They made me sign a waiver, I can't call home So now I'm praying to the light on the fire alarm Thinkin' to myself, "Look what I've become?" The tears on my face taste like alcohol I'm crawled up in a ball fightin' my withdrawals I was starin' in the mirror and the man I saw Was appalled at the wrong I've done And it's never been as clear as it is right now I was powerless all life long I'm ready for recovery Tryin' on to break these chains Ready for recovery Tryin' to escape Twin Lakes It's 6 a.m. And I don't got an appetite for breakfast I can't make friends Cause I don't think that I know who I am yet I flick my cigarette ash, I'm scared of talkin' group A girl across the room is sayin' how she got abused Younger kids are laughin' like it's funny, I am not amused I need to mind my business That's the type of attitude I'm trying to lose Told my counselor, "I think that I fell out of love of livin' I drink Crown by the gallon jug Not an ounce of fuck is givin', buzz without the fun Now I'm just a violent drunk And if I don't want to get sober, then it's all over I just hope my higher power shows forgiveness Victim of this drug abusive life I live Lose my mind and then another suicide attempt So I turn my willin' life over to you to drive again I'm just hopin' I got time to undo the wrong I did" I was starin' in the mirror and the man I saw Was appalled at the wrong I've done And it's never been as clear as it is right now I was powerless all life long I'm ready for recovery Tryin' on to break these chains Ready for recovery Tryin' to escape Twin Lakes It's never too late

I took my time I took down every light as if they were mine Our winds straight home I looked up every flight as if I could go somewhere And if I never have to look in your eyes it'd be fine And if I only wait to get out is to lose my mind I leave it someway or I leave it anywhere for you to find I took them bound I broke down every thought as if they were mine Our wind straight home I told my family to stay and I begged them not to follow And if I never have to go back inside it'd be fine And if I only wait to get out is to lose my mind I leave it someway or I leave it everywhere for you to find And I guess my time is fading now But I guess my time is against my own And I guess my pride is running out But I guess my pride is against my own And I guess my pride is running out But I guess my pride is against my own And I guess my time is fading now But I guess my time is against my own If I can take it away without a choice or a say If I can never see the sun out my window If I can call in my sleep if I can no longer sleep I'll say this quick to you I swear that I'll be, I swear that I'll be good If I was taken away before I knew who I was And I was given a name among your daughters and sons To be love just to love I think I heard that before But I love them I do it so to be loved some more I would've loved some more I thought I knew but I don't I thought I knew but I don't I don't know anything at all I thought I knew but I don't I thought I knew but I don't I don't know anything at all I thought I knew but I don't I thought I knew but I don't I don't know anything at all I thought I knew but I don't I thought I knew but I don't I don't know anything at all

Well, I come from Alabama with My banjo on my knee I'm goin' to Louisiana my True love for to see It rained all night the day I left The weather was bone dry And the sun so hot I froze to death Susanna, don't you cry Oh Susanna Don't you cry for me I come from Alabama with My banjo on my knee Well, I had a dream the other night When everything was still I dreamed I saw Susanna A-comin' down the hill A buckwheat cake was in her mouth A tear was in her eye I said "I'm comin' from the south Susanna, don't you cry" Oh Susanna Don't you cry for me I come from Alabama with My banjo on my knee Well, I soon will be at New Orleans and when I do arrive I'll go and find our Susanna If she is still alive And if I do not find that girl Well, I will surely die Oo, when I'm buried in my grave Susanna, don't you cry Oh Susanna Don't you cry for me I come from Alabama with My banjo on my knee