dear folks i have never heard of the song lakes of pontchatrain but i believe you are right. i was listening to an old document from 1953 by alun lomax when he talked to jimmy mcbeath alun said that jimmy's song tramps and hawkers was a similar tune to creole girl or lakes of ponchatrain. jimmy had never heard this song but said that he learned it from a friend of his called george sturet who knew that the writer of that song was by richered mucey in 1852. if you no any more info on the usa song creole girl or lakes of pontchatrain i wood like to no because i reviewfolk songs from all over the uk and the usa. from joe.