Bob Dylan Debuts Cover Of Hank Williams’ ‘On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain’ In New Orleans

Bob Dylan once again used the location of his Rough And Rowdy Ways Tour stop to debut a cover related to the region. Dylan’s concert on Monday at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans featured his debut performance of Hank Williams’ New Orleans-based song, “On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain.”

Country music legend Hank Williams co-wrote “On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain” with a woman named Ramona Vincent who wrote the lyrics that Williams composed music for. The song, originally released in 1947, tells the story of an escaped convict who fled a West Texas jail and encountered a woman on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain. An estuary in southeast Louisiana, the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain borders the northern part of New Orleans.

Dylan performed a different traditional folk song entitled “The Lakes Of Pontchartrain” several times in concert between 1988 and 1991. In 1972, Dylan recorded a version of the Hank Williams song, “On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain,” with Doug Sahm and his band, which was later included in a limited edition box set released in 2003.

Listen to an audience recording of Bob Dylan’s debut performance of Hank Williams’ New Orleans-based song, “On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain,” last night at the Saenger Theatre below: