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. VERSE I grew up in an oil town But my gusher never came in. And the river was a boundary () Where my darlin’ and I used to swim. One night in the moonlight The swiftness swept here life 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 CHORUS