Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the six original members were Keith Staten, Fred Hammond, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, Michael Brooks, and Michael Williams. In 1991 Staten and Brooks left the group and were replaced by Marvin Sapp, Maxx Frank, and Eddie Howard, Jr.. By 1994 Howard had left the group and Williams left a year later. Hammond also left to pursue a career with the group Radical For Christ. He was replaced by Montrell Darrett. By 2000, Marcus Cole and Chris Poole had taken the place of Sapp and Darrett on the group's last studio album. In 2002 Commissioned released a reunion album which brought back most of the group's former members and featured most of its greatest hits. The group performed live on stage during the 2002 Stellar Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.
(2) An urban Black gospel band with crossover appeal, Commissioned are an extremely evangelistic group in concert who put on such a dramatic show that the altars are routinely packed with repenters following their performances. Members Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Michael Brooks and Marvin Sapp have all done many successful solo projects as well. They spent most of the '90s pursuing those careers, but found themselves back together in 2001 for a reunion tour and the first of another successful series of albums. ~ Bil Carpenter, Rovi
Back In The Saddle
Commissioned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the convention
You were flying high not to mention
Your testimony was strong
You even stood up and sang a song
Knowing full and well that this is not a ritual
Your walk with Christ was spiritual
Bible in one hand track in the other
What happened, did you miss the mark?
Did you fall short?
You say the race is not fun
What hinders you now, that you do not run?
I know you've heard it said if at first you don't succeed
Get back up and try it again
But it's easier to say than it is to get it done
You just keep on praying
You just keep on staying
You'll find out that you can be the one
You will never give in to the devil's call
You'll be ready to get up when you take a fall
Now you should've known, you are not alone
You just keep on praying
And you just keep on staying
You'll find out that you could be the one
I know that sometimes it gets hard
To stand your ground
You remember, never give in
Look up to God he is your help
Oh, he knows your weakness and he'll provide a way of escape
Just keep on praying for you'll find
Quitters never win
Winners don't give in
You just wait on him, you will find
Promises are true
What he says he'll do
Mr. Christian, Mrs. Saint
We said you can don't say you can't
It's not the one who finished first my friend
But it's the one who makes it to the end
So go on and confess up your debt is paid
And go and clean the mess up that you made
It's not a license to sin, but one to get free
I told you time and again you got the victory
Sing it
Get back, Get back, Get back up in the saddle
Get back, Get back, Get back up in the saddle
Get back, Get back, Get back up in the saddle
Get back, Get back, Get back up in the saddle
Oh, get on up
Oh, giddy up
A just man falls but a few times
But he gets back up with the right mind
A just man falls but a few time
But he gets back up with the right mind
Repeat until end of song
The lyrics of Commissioned's song "Back In The Saddle" speak of the struggle that Christians go through in their journey of faith. The song begins with a reference to a convention where the singer had previously given a strong testimony, but something has changed in the time since then. The lyrics question what may have happened causing the individual to lose direction or "miss the mark."
The chorus encourages them to keep praying and standing firm, assuring them that they can be the one to overcome their obstacles. The bridge speaks of God's understanding and forgiveness, assuring the listener that they are not alone in their struggles. Finally, the song ends with an exhortation to get up, confess mistakes, and continue in the race, with the understanding that it is not about winning but about finishing.
Overall, the lyrics of "Back In The Saddle" serve as an encouragement to Christians who may have become discouraged or stumbled in their faith journey, reminding them of God's grace and their ability to continue moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
We saw you a year ago
A year ago we witnessed your commitment to your faith
At the convention
We saw you at a convention of believers
You were flying high not to mention
Your spirit was uplifted and you were on fire
Your testimony was strong
You spoke powerfully about your faith
You even stood up and sang a song
You weren't afraid to express your worship through singing
Knowing full and well that this is not a ritual
You understood that faith requires genuine devotion, not just empty practices
Your walk with Christ was spiritual
Your relationship with Jesus was authentic and personal
Bible in one hand track in the other
You were always ready to share the Gospel with others
A witness in the streets, but oh my brother
You were a powerful example of faith to the world, but now we see that something has changed
What happened, did you miss the mark?
Did you fall short of your spiritual goals?
Did you fall short?
Did you fail to live up to your own expectations or to God's standards?
You say the race is not fun
You're not enjoying your spiritual journey anymore
What hinders you now, that you do not run?
What's holding you back from pursuing your faith with the same zeal and enthusiasm as before?
I know you've heard it said if at first you don't succeed
You're familiar with the saying that if you fail at something, you should keep trying
Get back up and try it again
You need to persevere and keep going despite setbacks or failures
But it's easier to say than it is to get it done
It's simple to give advice, but harder to put it into practice
You just keep on praying
You need to maintain an active prayer life
You just keep on staying
You need to remain committed to your faith
You'll find out that you can be the one
You have the strength and ability to overcome your struggles and succeed in your faith journey
You will never give in to the devil's call
You will resist temptation and avoid falling into sinful behaviors
You'll be ready to get up when you take a fall
You will be prepared to pick yourself up and keep going when you experience setbacks or failures
Now you should've known, you are not alone
You should remember that you have support and encouragement available to you
I know that sometimes it gets hard
I understand that the spiritual journey can be challenging
To stand your ground
To maintain your commitment to your faith despite difficulties
You remember, never give in
Remember to resist temptation and avoid sinful behaviors
Look up to God he is your help
Turn to God for support and guidance
Oh, he knows your weakness and he'll provide a way of escape
God understands your struggles and will help you find a way out of temptation or difficult situations
Just keep on praying for you'll find
Continuing to pray will help you discover spiritual strength and guidance
Quitters never win
Giving up won't lead to success or growth
Winners don't give in
Those who succeed in their faith journey don't give up or succumb to temptation
You just wait on him, you will find
Be patient and trust in God and you will discover success and growth
Promises are true
God's promises are trustworthy and reliable
What he says he'll do
God will follow through on the promises he makes
Mr. Christian, Mrs. Saint
Addressing fellow believers
We said you can don't say you can't
We encouraged and supported your faith journey
It's not the one who finished first my friend
Success in faith is not about being the first or the best
But it's the one who makes it to the end
Success is about persevering and remaining committed to your faith journey
So go on and confess up your debt is paid
Confess your sins and trust that Jesus paid the price for them on the cross
And go and clean the mess up that you made
Take responsibility for your mistakes and work to correct them
It's not a license to sin, but one to get free
Grace is not an excuse to sin, but an opportunity to be set free from sin's hold on your life
I told you time and again you got the victory
You have been reminded many times that you have victory in Jesus
Get back, Get back, Get back up in the saddle
Recommit yourself to your faith journey
Oh, get on up
Get back up and keep moving forward
Oh, giddy up
Keep pushing forward with energy and excitement
A just man falls but a few times
Even the most righteous person will experience failures or setbacks
But he gets back up with the right mind
But they will recover and continue their faith journey with the right mindset
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: MICHAEL A. BROOKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philecea
If you notice tey sing straight from the WORD...at the beginning they said "what hinders you now that you do not run" Galatians 5:7....my Bishop preached this Sunday I love COMISSIONED!
Eddie Williams
Philecea D. " now you should have known you are not alone"
Melody L.
They always have sung straight from the Word!
Daniel Lewis
That's the verse I was looking for! Who is he that may hinder you from running the race or words to that effect.
Deborah Yuille
That's one of the reasons l love them, they absolutely sing the word of God that has a catchy message! If all it was just a good sound and beat without a message then it becomes empty and void! But these guys got it down pack with the word of God, and so anointed!
Isaac Jones
Micheal Williams is killin that hi hat, and staying in the pocket crazy on the drums. I loved this song when it first came out, and still do.
Cowboys 5rings
This Mikes top Drum track in my opinion! I agree man that hi hat is nasty ! Especially that “ tis tis”accent
Minnie Wonder
We saw you a year ago, at the convention, your testimony was strong, you even stood up and sang a song...your walk with Christ is spiritual. A bible in one hand, a tract in the other, a witness in the street, but oh my brother! What happened? Did you miss the mark, did you fall short? ...What hinders you now that you do not run? Get back in the saddle. Check out their song 'Running back to you'. This group's music helped to keep me on track in my early walk with Christ.
kpitt1204
Could it be that it was all so simple then? This brings back great memories! They are still among my favorite singing groups ever!
chessman60619
The ultimate bottom line is this. This song came out during the new jack swing of Guy. Commissioned was always move with the music and keep the gospel in the music without compromising the message. That requires talen, skill, and God-given annointing. I have had to defend the music of Commissioned with the Gospel music traditionalist. However, they could not deny the message in every Commissioned song. I will forever be a Commissioned Loyalist. Woooooo!!!!!!