Kern River Blues Lyrics - Kern River Blues - Merle Haggard

I'll never swim Kern River again 

It was there that I met her 

It was there that I lost my best friend 

And now I live in the mountains 

I drifted up here with the wind 

And I may drown in still water 

But I'll never swim Kern River again 

I grew up in an oil town 

But my gusher never came in 

And the river was a boundary 

Where my darlin' and I use to swim 

One night in the moonlight 

The swiftness swept her live away 

And now I live on Lake Shasta and 

Lake Shasta is where I will stay 

There's the South San Joaquin 

Where the seeds of the dust bowl are found 

And there's a place called Mount Whitney 

From where the mighty Kern River comes down 

Well, it's not deep nor wide 

But it's a mean piece of water my friend 

And I may cross on the highway 

But I'll never swim Kern River again 

I'll never swim Kern River again 

It was there I first met her 

It was there that I lost my best friend 

And now I live in the mountains 

I drifted up here with the wind 

And I may drown in still water 

But I'll never swim Kern River again 

I'll never swim Kern River again 

It was there I first met her 

It was there that I lost my best friend 

And now I live in the mountains 

I drifted up here with the wind 

And I may cross on the highway 

But I'll never swim Kern River again