Kern River
Dave Alvin Lyrics


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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 there's 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
And 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

Overall Meaning

The song "Kern River" by Dave Alvin is a tribute to his best friend, who drowned in the Kern River in California. The song talks about the singer's memories of the river and how it was a boundary where he used to swim with his lover. This river used to hold a lot of importance in their life and was a vital part of their memory lane. However, now the river holds a darker meaning that's associated with the loss of someone close to the singer. The singer has since then moved to the mountains and has no desire to go back to the river he used to swim in because it holds a lot of grief and pain.


The lyrics speak of how the mighty Kern river was also responsible for the seeds of the dust bowl found in South San Joaquin and Mt. Whitney, from where the river originates. The Kern river may not appear deep or wide, but it's a very treacherous piece of water according to the singer. He has no desire to swim in it again, and though he may cross it on the highway, he will never venture into it.


Overall, the song is a poignant reminder of how fleeting life can be and how the memories of a loved one can forever tint our memories of even the most beautiful moments in life. It's a reminder that life is unpredictable and can change in an instant.


Line by Line Meaning

I'll never swim Kern River again
The singer regrets swimming in Kern River and vows never to repeat it.


It was there that I met him
The singer met his best friend in Kern River.


There that I lost my best friend
His best friend died due to the strong currents of the river.


Now I live in the mountains
The singer moved to the mountains and lives there now.


I drifted up here with the wind
The singer moved to the mountains without a plan or direction, much like the wind.


And I may drown in still water
The singer acknowledges the danger of still water and drowning in it.


But I'll never swim Kern River again
The singer reiterates his vow to never swim in Kern River again.


He grew up in an oil town
The singer grew up in a town with a failed oil well.


But that gusher never came in
The oil well never produced any oil or natural gas.


And the river was a boundary
The river was a boundary the singer's loved ones used to swim across.


Where my darling and I used to swim
The singer would swim with his loved one in Kern River.


One night in the moonlight
Something significant happened during a moonlit night.


The swiftness swept his life away
The strong current of the river resulted in the death of the singer's best friend.


Now I live on Lake Shasta
The singer lives on a different lake called Lake Shasta.


And Lake Shasta is where I will stay
The singer has no plans of moving away from Lake Shasta.


There's the South San Joaquin
The South San Joaquin has a historical significance.


Where the seeds of the dust bowl are found
The Southern San Joaquin area is where the dust bowl started.


And there's a place called Mt. Whitney
The source of the Kern River is Mt. Whitney.


From where the mighty Kern River comes down
Kern River originates from the top of Mt. Whitney.


Now it's not deep nor wide
Despite its beauty, the Kern River is not deep nor wide.


But it's a mean piece of water my friend
The Kern River is not to be underestimated as it can be dangerous.


And I may cross on the highway
The singer may cross the Kern River on a highway but avoid swimming in it.


No, I'll never swim Kern River again
The singer emphatically restates his vow to never swim in Kern River again.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MERLE HAGGARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

erasmus omnius

Love Merle's songs. Love Dave Alvin's performance here.

tippimail1

Jesus-just how good can music get?

iogogilby

Never stop playing Music Dave, you are a Treasure.

Eric Reitzel

Die hard Merle fan says you did an amazzzzing job.......Great voice and Talent !

Gregg

Really did Merle's song justice ... very well done my friend

Alex Johnson

Best performance I've ever seen

Shane Hilton

Loved Your Version.

Patrick Hamrock

Dave Alvin is a National treasure. He hangs out with Tom Russell. Both L.A. cowboys. His guitar picking is as good as it gets. I'm a Downey guy also.

Michael Heaphy

Beautiful !!!!!!

gilliangirl1

Why does this song make me cry? By the third line I've got tears streaming down my face.

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