Merle Haggard Kern River

[CleanCoalsaJoke]

IF you have looked for this song for years... you should have looked at the studio inn lounge in chico ca. It's on their jukebox

[brentinbako314]

just heard this live at the fox theater it was bad ass

[lyssandlex37]

THUMBS UP IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY FROM BAKERSFIELD<3

[Metaphoid]

This song came out about the same time I moved to Bakersfield. So I stayed the heck out of the Kern River. Perhaps Merle Haggard saved my life.

[kbf1978]

I swam the Kern River above Wofford Heights and Kernville as a no fear teenager. I couldn't beleive this song when it came out in 1985(i think). The summers we camped at and around Lake Isabella in the 1970s were legendary. My point is country music has Texas and Tennessee, and thats fine, but there was and is the greatest and baddest ass country singer of all time from the California we used to know! Merle Haggard.

[kbf1978]

I swam the Kern River above Wofford Heights and Kernville as a no fear teenager. I couldn't beleive this song when it came out in 1985(i think). The summers we camped at and around Lake Isabella in the 1970s were legendary. My point is country music has Texas and Tennessee, and thats fine, but there was and is the greatest and baddest ass country singer of all time from the California we used to know!

[doodlepot]

So pretty but sad.

[kneapoe51]

Beautiful, haunting.......one of Hag's best. Thanks for the post.

[Warrosquyoake]

I was always told that he was singing about how he stole his best friend's woman. (Someone said it was Buck's lady, but I don't really know.)

[tspoonhunter]

@Warrosquyoake Well Merle was married to Buck Owens Ex wife Bonnie Owens or maybe she Married Buck after Merle Not sure. But that Is not what the song is about I don't believe. Bonnie was one of Merle's LONG time Back up singers.

[benwitt1]

I can't prove it but I was told by some folks in Bakersfield that the loss he was talking about was his horse, not a person. Whatever....great song

[LOUDNESSrocks]

STAY OUT of The Kern River!!

[Mopar21277]

Merle is amazing, the country poet laureate. According to Jimmy Bowen in his autobio, Merle had a houseboat on Lake Shasta around '79-'81 and he was there thru the hard times. Bowen went up there in those years to counsel him.

In those years, Merle was going thru his 3rd or 4th divorce and his pain and artistry came thru his music in the albums "Back to the Barooms" "Going Where the Lonely Go" etc. Simply stunning!

[tspoonhunter]

@Mopar21277 Yes he did live on Lake shasta, Whiskey Town to be exact. He Now lives in Palo Cedro Ca. Which is somewhere near Redding and Shasta.

[princeoz17]

This kern river is no joke, it is a nice place no doubt, just come prepared with life vests and do your research. Me and a friend fell in this weekend, in freezing water temp., with heavy clothes on and no life vests. If this message can help one person... I've done my job. I'm just grateful to be alive. Thank you Merle Haggard for a nice song and cuz kevin for the post.

[vmaxinc]

Merle is my Hero. Can't get enough. Makes being a Oil Dalian special.

[barbalalla2003]

Beautiful :) And thanks for the information that its autobiographical. Had only heard it sung by EmmyLou Harris before

[summitepa]

Great Merle tune - thank you!

[journeyquest1]

RIP Biily Rothgeb. My friend who drowned in kern river.

[princeoz17]

May your friend r.i.p..

[pullitfromthenuts]

Hey cuzinkevin, are you related to Merle?

[work4beer09]

i will tell u about the kern it is a crazy fucking river

[wildfeatherz1]

Floated down the ole mighty Kern every weekend with my family in the summer time..was real lucky .... some of my best memories will be on that river ...

[DocDocJerry]

Lived in Bakersfield for a year (1979)..Strange. The city has little ambience yet it has an earthy attraction that is seductive. Merle Haggard embodies that. Great song.

[EddieErwinEngines48]

@DocDocJerry

You said it brother, my family had a house in Bakersfield. I've lived in Orange County most of my life but Bakersfield will always be "Home".

[kainefenton]

@DocDocJerry Its a shit hole now.

[luketheduke34]

first merle song my father ever played for me. then i became hooked

[tibbzwillkillu]

Who here is from Bakersfield

[mrtoeknee641]

Was this song from an album of the same name or was it from the big city album and didn't it hit the air waves in early 80s ? Haggard was an still is an icon to me check out my cover and also orignal I have hear please rate for me my birds distracted me lol go to. wish things wear simple again. Cover Hag. And orignel. Go to. Guitar music video . Please rate for me And thanks for your post ttfn. Mr T

[kris98166]

Kern river kicks ass.  Love driving through the canyon

[treymartin3334]

jumping off Led Zeppelin holding a twelve pack - ahh the 90's. Kern County, visit on vacation and leave on probation.....

[vivascargill]

could be his finest song--Hag is just the best!

[ru2l8t]

this is where I grew up , Kern river is a mean peice of water.

[cheri4travel]

Me too, and you are 100% right...this is for the many people who lost loved ones in the mighty Kern...

[badbrian1]

Nobody died, he wrote this about fishing, he was busy in his life and hadn't been fishing in a long time, it was I'll never fish in Kern River again

[bry3921]

it's a song brian, you can't diminish it's beauty. listen to "moody river". what? you wrote the song with merle? you go trout fishing? please.

[badbrian1]

There's an interview here on youtube with him telling the story smart ass!!

[badbrian1]

This is one of my favorite Merle songs, I lived in Lone Pine at the base of Mt Whitney

[bry3921]

i'm sure you're right bad. I have no reason to doubt your word. I never thought that he lost a young love in the rushing waters, or maybe he did. It's a beautiful song; what are we fussing about?

[soulshinz]

actually, in his Rolling Stone interview this month, he states that it is in fact about a girl drowning in the river, being his house was built on Kern river, it may or may not be true

[wobbitt]

@soulshinz

It is about a dog he lost when he lived by the canyon

[soulshinz]

direct quote from Merle in Rolling Stone mag about Kern River:"Well, you can't say, 'I'll never gonna fish Kern River again. It's got to be something more glamorous. Oh, it's about some guy who lost his woman up there.'" So, [the song "Kern River"] is totally prefabricated

[JudiNull]

Obviously You Have Never Been To The Kern River. Maybe not his love that drownd, but they post signs stating how many people have died in the river. It damn near kicked my ass one time when I was a teenager!

[KathRunning]

Awesome, Haunting

[BlackKaweah]

That's just awesome.

[cochisewolf]

Wow, what a voice, what an artist! Haggard's great. Thanks for posting this.

[SEVENWORST]

(You gotta love the hagg)

[SOCCER19641964]

Merle sounds great, this is a good song by one of the best voices ever!

[jhrunion]

one of the best songs ever...by the master. john

[randommagnum]

I don't blame him... I don't plan on swimming in that rough bastard any time soon, either.

[videocommentator357]

maxlll you went from drowning to saying someone lives in kiev why is he in kiev/ to get away from jew controlled america?

[zaaritha]

New for me--but; so good!

[MaxIII]

My dad took me out here when I was 7 to dig some sand for cement in Bakersfield. of course, I dove in... actually I walked out 4-5 steps and then the river grabbed me... under the currents twisting and choking, Earl saw me. I recall I saw him grabbing his shoes off. I hit a bank and was in shallow water, laughing. he too was laughing, cause he didn't know how to swim... what an incredible dad... Thanks Merle & cuzinkevin... paul waters in Kyiv since 1992... btw, he'd'a liked it over here... wow!

[meshaclem]

i grew up with the kern river in my backyard, great song! Bad river!

Way to go Merle

[blndgrl87]

haha... amazing song... too bad tourists dont listen to it and people still attempt to swim in our "killer kern"....

[Pdttnz37]

One of the best....hands down.

Can someone tell me who/what he met and lost on kern river?

[beatles101462]

as you can tell by my s/n i m a beatles fan especially lennon r.i.p....but man i am grateful i can also appreciate the old country..and merles the best thanks for the video

[teleboytwo]

And I really love this song. One of his best. Simple ant honest.

[teleboytwo]

He musta really loved that dog.

[KernriverMerle]

One of my favorite songs.

[cjthemusicman]

Great stuff, Merle! Great vid, cuz!

[slowhand111666]

i play this song every night i perform.....it trancends time people of all ages love this tune....and i love merle.....he is definitely the poet of the common man

[bigkw]

There is a lady singing in the background. She was an unknown. They called her Janie Frickie. Hmmmmm.

[coleyman1]

Janie Frickie was already established when this came out. Most of this was cut or mastered at Southern Writers Studios over in 100 Oaks and at that time Frickie was on her own.

[jinnyjohnson45]

i love this song becouse it rally happend to merle every line in this song is true

[rrbowes]

GREAT WORK, CUZINKEVIN

[manitowaning]

Beautifully sad and moving........one of my favs from Merle.

[Irish1945]

I have looked for this song, literally, for years. I'm so grateful to have found it here

[cuzinkevin]

You're welcome

[krissygirl333]

I too have looked for this song for years too....for 21 years. And tonight I find it. THANKS to cuzinkevin! I'm enjoying it again!!!

[bohonk123]

me to

[KathRunning]

I looked for "Kern River" before the computer age. I'm 66 and still my favorite song from the GREATEST

[bruin03]

beautiful song!

[losthills]

It's a mean piece of water, my friend....

[randyflats]

Thanks for putting that song up. Of all the songs that HAG has done, that's one that we used to sing..quite a few memories ago.......Randy

[cafarmgirl1]

I been in that river that he sings about.

[katona08]

Beautiful.LEGEND!!!

[504infantry]

Yep it's sad. But much of life is. I reckon that's why I love good country...it speaks true.

[CAPCOP12]

this is a sad song, but the music is beautiful. merle can sing it like nobody else. without a doubt a living legend. the best!

[cuzinkevin]

Amen to that

[bmcneese45]

Quite an autobiographical song. Was this written by Merle Haggard?

[cuzinkevin]

Yes it was written by Merle. That guy has had a hell of alife

[Emily41162]

I agree with you about Merle having a hard life, but God bless him, he's a survivor.