I'll never swim Kern River again,
It was there that I met him,
There that I lost my best friend.
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.

He grew up in an oil town
But that 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 his life away.
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 theres a place called Mt. Whitney
From where the mighty Kern River comes down.
Now 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 that I met him.
There that I lost my best friend.
Now I live in the mountains,
I drifted up here with the wind.
I may drown in still water,
But I'll never swim Kern River again.

I'll never swim Kern River again,
It was there that I met him,
There that I lost my best friend.
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.

No, I'll never swim Kern River again