SiriusXM To Premiere Final Merle Haggard Song

Earlier this year, outlaw country music legend Merle Haggard passed away on his 79th birthday. Today, SiriusXM will premiere the final original song recorded by Haggard entitled “Kern River Blues.”

Written while in the hospital battling pneumonia, “Kern River Blues” is Haggard’s reflection on leaving Bakersfield, California in the 1970s. Recorded on February 9 at his own Hag Studios across from his home, the acclaimed performer provided vocals while backed by his son Ben Haggard on electric guitar, Scott Joss on acoustic guitar, Doug Colosio on bass, Norman D. “Norm” Hamlet on steel guitar, Jimmy Christie on drums and Renato Caranto on horns.

“Kern River Blues” will premiere today, Thursday, May 12 at 5 p.m. ET on Willie Nelson’s SiriusXM channel Willie’s Roadhouse (Ch. 59). Following its debut the track will be available for download at iTunes and Merle’s website, with 10 percent of proceeds going to homeless charities.

“Kern River Blues” Lyrics

• 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