I'll never swim Kern River againIt was there I first met herIt was there that I lost my best friendAnd now I live in the mountainsI drifted up here with the windAnd I may drown in still waterBut I'll never swim Kern River againI grew up in an old townBut my gusher never came inAnd the river was a boundaryAnd the river was a boundaryWhere my darling and I used to swimOne night in the moonlightThe swiftness swept her life awayNow I live on Lake ShastaLake Shasta is where I will stayThere's a South San JoaquinWhere the seeds of the dust bowl are foundThere's a place called Mount WhitneyFrom where the mighty Kern River comes downWell, it's not deep nor wideBut it's a main piece of water, my friendI may cross on the highwayBut I'll never swim Kern River againI'll never swim Kern River againIt was there I first met herIt was there that I lost my best friendAnd now I live in the mountainsI drifted up here with the windAnd I may drown in still waterBut I'll never swim Kern River againI'll never swim Kern River againI'll never swim Kern River againIt was there I first met herIt was there that I lost my best friendAnd I live in the mountainsI drifted up here with the windI dreamed it up here with the windI may drown in still waterBut I'll never swim Kern River againI may drown in still waterBut I'll never swimKern River again