Oh, 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
I may drown in the 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 her life away
And now I live on Lake Shasta
And Lake Shasta is where I will stay

There's the great 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

But 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

Oh, 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