"Throw Out The Life Line!" - Duckling Saves Tom

As the duckling saves Tom from drowning in the Tom and Jerry cartoon "Just Ducky", the melody to the gospel song "Throw Out the Life Line" can be clearly heard in the background. This shows the strong influence of gospel songs at the time the Tom and Jerry cartoons were made.



The gospel song "Throw Out The Life Line" was nearly always sung at the Lifegate School of Evangelism, led by Pastor Colin Pavitt at Lifegate Baptist Church in Corby, Northamptonshire, England between 2002 and 2006. The song reminds us of the Christian's responsibility to reach out with the gospel of salvation to perishing sinners.

The words and music to "Throw Out The Life Line" can be found on the Cyber Hymnal here: http://nethymnal.org/htm/t/h/throwout.htm. This gospel song, written at a time when people knew what evangelism is, emphasises the urgency of both giving and receiving the saving gospel message.

Have you personally trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone can save? Take hold of God's "life line" to you. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. You may not have another opportunity. Who knows what a day may bring forth? It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment. Where will you spend eternity?

Throw out the life line across the dark wave;
There is a brother whom someone should save;
Somebody’s brother! O who then will dare
To throw out the life line, his peril to share?

Refrain

Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is drifting away;
Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is sinking today.

Throw out the life line with hand quick and strong:
Why do you tarry, why linger so long?
See! he is sinking; oh, hasten today
And out with the life boat! away, then away!

Refrain

Throw out the life line to danger fraught men,
Sinking in anguish where you’ve never been;
Winds of temptation and billows of woe
Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow.

Refrain

Soon will the season of rescue be o’er,
Soon will they drift to eternity’s shore;
Haste, then, my brother, no time for delay,
But throw out the life line and save them today.

Refrain

This is the life line, oh, tempest tossed men;
Baffled by waves of temptation and sin;
Wild winds of passion, your strength cannot brave,
But Jesus is mighty, and Jesus can save.

Refrain

Jesus is able! To you who are driv’n,
Farther and farther from God and from Heav’n;
Helpless and hopeless, o’erwhelmed by the wave;
We throw out the life line, ’tis “Jesus can save.”

Refrain

This is the life line, oh, grasp it today!
See, you are recklessly drifting away;
Voices in warning, shout over the wave,
O grasp the strong life line, for Jesus can save.

Words and music written by Edwin S. Ufford, 1888,
music arranged by George C. Stebbins, 1890.