The last recording Merle Haggard ever made was an eerie song that could be said to have predicted the country music legend’s soon-to-come passing.
“Kern River Blues” was written by Haggard and featured his son Ben on electric guitar. The Haggard family decided to release “Kern River Blues” as a way of “thanking everyone” for their “tremendous outpouring of love and prayers” for the artist. They’ve will donate 10% of all gross proceeds from its sale to homeless charities.
Read the poignant lyrics below, followed by the song “Kern River Blues”.
I’m leavin’ town tomorrow
Get my breakfast in the sky
Well, I’m leavin’ in the early morning
Eat my breakfast in the sky
Be a donut on a paper
Drink my coffee on the fly
I’m flying out on a jet plane
Gonna leave this town behind
I’m flying out on a jet plane
Gonna leave this town behind
They’ve done moved the city limits
Out by the county line
Put my head up to the window
Watch the city fade away
Put my head close to the window
Watch Oildale fade away
The blues back in the ’30s
Just like the blues today
There used to be a river here
Runnin’ deep and wide
Well, they used to have Kern River
Runnin’ deep and wide
Then somebody stole the water
Another politician lied
When you closed down all the honky tonks
The city died at night
When you closed down all the honky tonks
The city died at night
When it hurt somebody’s feelings
Well, a wrong ain’t never right
Well, I’m leaving town forever
Kiss an old boxcar goodbye
Well, I’m leaving town forever
Kiss an old boxcar goodbye
I dug my blues down in the river
But the old Kern River is dry
Remember to “share” this with other Country Music fans.
