I'll never swim Kern River again
It was there I first met her
It was there I lost my best friend
Now I live in the mountains
I drifted up here with the wind
I may cross on the highway 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 darling and I used to swim
One night in the moonlight the swiftness swept her life away
And now I live on Lake Shasta and Lake Shasta is where I will stay

There's that South San Joaquin where the seeds of the dust bowl are found
There's a place called Mt. Whitney 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 drown in still waters 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 I lost my best friend
Now I live in the mountains
I drifted up here with the wind
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 I lost my best friend
Now I live in the mountains
I drifted up here with the wind
I may cross on the highway but I'll never swim Kern River again
I may wade in shallow water, but I'll never swim Kern River again