Man the life-boat! quick, my bro­ther,
Send it speed­ing o’er the wave;
If you hast­en to the res­cue,
Some poor sail­or you may save;
Sinking fast in sin’s dark wa­ters,
Helpless ’mid the break­ers high,
Man the life-boat! quick, oh, hast­en,
To the res­cue, ere they die.

Man the life-boat! to the rescue!
Hasten, hast­en on your way;
With the bea­con lights to guide you
From the wreck you can­not stray;
Speed away! the ship is sink­ing,
Go and work ’mid scenes of woe;
Man the life-boat, nerve for act­ion!
To the res­cue, bro­ther, go.

Man the life-boat! strug­gling sea­men
Battle now with rag­ing wave;
See! they cling to spar and tim­ber,
Precious lives your hand can save;
Leaps the an­gry surge about them,
As to drown their plead­ing cry;
Man the life-boat, flash your sig­nal!
Let them know that help is nigh.

Man the life-boat! God will aid you;
Out across life’s storm tossed wave,
Wrecks the wa­ters dark are strew­ing,
On them some whom you can save;
Carry quick the cups of com­fort,
Pick them up in Je­sus’ name;
Man the life-boat! res­cue some­one,
From the wreck some soul re­claim.