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 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