You are drift­ing far from shore,
Leaning on an idle oar,
You are drift­ing, slow­ly drift­ing,
Drifting down;
You are drift­ing with the tide,
To the ocean wild and wide,
You are drift­ing, slow­ly drift­ing,
Drifting down.

Refrain

You are drift­ing down,
Drifting down
To the dark and aw­ful sea;
You are drift­ing down
From a Fa­ther’s lov­ing care,
To the black­ness of des­pair,
You are drift­ing, slow­ly drift­ing,
Drifting down.

Lights up­on the home­land shore
Give you warn­ing o’er and o’er,
You are drift­ing, slow­ly drift­ing,
Drifting down;
Soon be­yond the har­bor bar
Will your boat be car­ried far,
You are drift­ing, slow­ly drift­ing,
Drifting down.

Refrain

Voices from the home­land shore
Fainter grow as they im­plore,
You are drift­ing, slow­ly drift­ing,
Drifting down;
O my bro­ther, do not wait;
Heed them ere it be too late,
Ere for­ev­er you have drift­ed,
Drifted down.

Refrain