Kern River

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From: lindsey@sirius.com (Tom Lindsey)
Kern River
Merle Haggard
CHORUS:
D A
I'll never swim Kern River again.
A
It was there that I met her.
A E E7
It was there that I lost my best friend.
D
And now I live in the mountains.
C#m D
I drifted up here with the wind.
A
And I may drown in still water,
E A
But I'll never swim Kern River again.
VERSE:
A
I grew up in an oil town,
D A
But my gusher never came in.
A
And the river was a boundary
A E E7E9
()
Where my darlin' and I used to swim.
A
One night in the moonlight
D A
The swiftness swept here life away.
A
And now I live on Lake Shasta and
A E A
Lake Shasta is where I will stay.
CHORUS:
D A
I'll never swim Kern River again.
A
It was there that I met her.
A E E7
It was there that I lost my best friend.
D
And now I live in the mountains.
C#m D
I drifted up here with the wind.
A
And I may drown in still water,
E A
But I'll never swim Kern River again.
VERSE:
A
There's the South San Joaquin,
D A
Where the seeds of the dust bowl are found.
A
And there's a place called Mount Whitney
A E E7E9
()
From where the mighty Kern River comes down.
A
Well, it's not deep nor wide,
A D A
But it's a mean piece of water my friend.
A
And I may cross on the highway,
E A
But I'll never swim Kern River again
CHORUS:
D A
I'll never swim Kern River again.
A
It was there that I met her.
A E E7
It was there that I lost my best friend.
D
And now I live in the mountains.
C#m D
I drifted up here with the wind.
A
And I may drown in still water,
E A
But I'll never swim Kern River again.

Kern River chords and lyrics

Free chords for Kern River by Merle Haggard. Scroll the interactive sheet above or read the chord names inline below.

From: lindsey@sirius.com (Tom Lindsey)
Kern River
Merle Haggard
CHORUS:
VERSE:
CHORUS:
VERSE:
CHORUS:

Kern River Chords by Merle Haggard

Learn how to play Kern River by Merle Haggard with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Kern River chords”, “Kern River guitar chords”, or “Merle Haggard Kern River chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Kern River chords and for experienced players who want accurate Kern River lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, E, E7, C#m, E9.

Frequently asked questions about Kern River

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Is "Kern River" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Kern River" in?

The chords for "Kern River" show the original chord names (including D, A, E, E7, C#m, E9). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.

Kern River Chords · Merle Haggard