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
Hold Me
Commissioned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
much frustration, such aggravation
who understands our plight
who can answer the questions why?
It's troublesome, my misfortune
I'm not ashamed to say
sometimes it feels like I'm going crazy
Pressures of this life makes me wanna run and hide
I need you Lord to console me
defeat I must deny
Hold me, safely in Your arms
Hold me, from all harm
Hold me, safely in Your arms
Hold me, for I know that everything will be alright. (Well well)
Trying times disenchantment
then we become apprehensive
who understands our plight
who can answer the question why?
I'm devastated,
unrest, no quietness
I have heard many times let the weak say I'm strong
but the first to admit, I find it hard to hold on
Oh so weary, I don't always wanna fight
I need you Lord to console me
defeat I must deny
Hold me, hold me hold me in Your arms
Hold me, I need you Lord to hold me
Hold me, safely in Your arms
Hold me, safely in Your arms
-music-
ooooooooooooooo
Lord I need You just to hold me
I remember You said if I am here
you'll never be lonely You will only draw near
Lord I've learned to put my trust in You
when the ordinary just won't do
I've learned, I've learned, I've learned,
In Your arms of safety, hold me (well well)
Lord console me, in Your arms
There is safety Lord console me
I need ya, Lord console me
Sitting in church on a Sunday
and just before we began to pray
there's a little hymn that we used to sing
On the Everlasting Arms I'm leaning
In Your arms, I need ya Lord console me In Your arms
In Your arms of safety, hold me
Lord console me
The lyrics of Commissioned's song Hold Me is a faithful cry for help from a person who is undergoing tough times. The first verse talks about the frustrations and aggravations that come with these trying moments, and the inability to find answers to the why's in such situations. The singer describes his misfortune and feels like he is going crazy, especially when the pressures of life become too much to bear. The chorus then follows, where the singer pleads with the Lord to hold him safely in His arms, away from all harm, and ultimately reassure him that everything will be alright.
In the second verse, the singer continues to express his worries and concerns about the uncertainties of life. The recurrent theme is finding someone to understand his plight and guess what the reasons for the challenges could be. He admits to feeling devastated and restless, and even though he has heard that the weak should say that they are strong, he at times finds it hard to hold on. The singer then repeats the call to the Lord to hold him in His arms, this time with more urgency and despair. The bridge then offers the resolution that the singer has learned to trust in the Lord and finds safety in His arms, where He consoles him.
Commissioned's Hold Me is not just another gospel song but has proven over time to be a source of hope and comfort to people who are going through difficult times. Its lyrics are an accurate representation of the emotions one would go through when faced with obstacles and the unsteady nature of life. The song's melody is also soulful and soothing, making it a favorite for those seeking solace. It is no surprise, therefore, that it has become an anthem in many churches and an encouragement in difficult times.
TEN FACTS ABOUT HOLD ME BY COMMISSIONED:
1) The song was released in 1987 on the album Go Tell Somebody by Commissioned
2) Commissioned disbanded in 1995 but reunited in 2001 and continued to perform together until 2017
3) The group was known for its soulful gospel sound and had various members throughout their career, including Fred Hammond and Keith Staten
4) Hold Me is one of their most popular songs and has been covered by various other artists
5) The song won the Gospel Music Workshop of America Excellence Awards in 1988 for Song of the Year
6) Commissioned has won various other awards throughout their career, including two Grammy nominations and two Stellar Awards
7) They released a live recorded version of the song on their album titled The Commissioned Reunion Live in 2002
8) Hold Me has been featured in various movies and TV shows, including the movie The Fighting Temptations starring Beyoncé and Cuba Gooding Jr.
9) The song's writer(s) are unknown, but the group is known for writing and producing their music
10) Commissioned has been recognized as one of the most influential gospel groups of all time, and Hold Me is one of the many songs that has contributed to their legacy.
CHORDS (GOSPEL KEY OF C):
Verse:
C Am F G
Trying times bring us much frustration,
C Am F G
such aggravation who understands our plight.
C Am F G
Trying times disenchantment,
C Am F G
then we become apprehensive who understands our plight.
Chorus:
C Am F G
Hold me, safely in Your arms.
C Am F G
Hold me, from all harm.
C Am F G
Hold me, safely in Your arms.
C Am F G
Hold me, for I know that everything will be alright.
Bridge:
C Am F G
Lord I need You just to hold me
C Am F G
I remember You said if I am here you'll never be lonely
C Am F G
I've learned to put my trust in You
C Am F G
when the ordinary just won't do
C Am F G
In Your arms of safety, hold me (well well)
C Am F G
Lord console me, in Your arms.
Line by Line Meaning
Trying times bring us
much frustration, such aggravation
Difficult situations cause us a lot of stress and bother
who understands our plight
who can answer the questions why?
No one seems to understand why we're going through this
It's troublesome, my misfortune
I'm not ashamed to say
sometimes it feels like I'm going crazy
This is really hard for me, and it's okay to admit that it's affecting my mental health
Pressures of this life makes me wanna run and hide
Oh so weary, I don't always wanna fight
Life is overwhelming, and I don't always feel like I have the strength to keep going
I need you Lord to console me
defeat I must deny
I need God's help and comfort to keep from giving up
Hold me, safely in Your arms
Hold me, from all harm
Hold me, safely in Your arms
Hold me, for I know that everything will be alright. (Well well)
God, give me comfort and safety during this difficult time, and remind me that everything will be okay
Trying times disenchantment
then we become apprehensive
Hard times can lead to disappointment and fear
I'm devastated,
unrest, no quietness
I'm really struggling and don't have any peace
but the first to admit, I find it hard to hold on
Oh so weary, I don't always wanna fight
I'm honest about how difficult this is, and I don't always feel like I have the energy to keep going
Hold me, hold me hold me in Your arms
Hold me, I need you Lord to hold me
Hold me, safely in Your arms
Hold me, safely in Your arms
God, I need you to hold me and keep me safe
-music-
ooooooooooooooo
Instrumental break in the song
Lord I need You just to hold me
I remember You said if I am here
you'll never be lonely You will only draw near
God, I need your comfort and presence, and I know you've promised to be with me always
Lord I've learned to put my trust in You
when the ordinary just won't do
I've learned, I've learned, I've learned,
I've realized that I can only trust in God when everything else has failed
In Your arms of safety, hold me (well well)
Lord console me, in Your arms
There is safety Lord console me
I need ya, Lord console me
God, keep me safe and comfort me, I need you
Sitting in church on a Sunday
and just before we began to pray
there's a little hymn that we used to sing
On the Everlasting Arms I'm leaning
This song reminds me of a hymn we sing in church, which speaks about leaning on God's everlasting arms for support
In Your arms, I need ya Lord console me In Your arms
In Your arms of safety, hold me
Lord console me
God, I need you to hold me and comfort me during this difficult time
Contributed by Bentley H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@promodel11
im 25 and i thank my parents for keeping commissioned and other gospeal artists in the house. raise your children in the way they should go and they shall not depart!
@kevlive7
This song helped me through a serious bout with depression recently. I went back to something that genuinely consoled me as a kid. I'm sure it isn't the last time this song will provide me with the hugs I need.
@simplytosha329
Kevin Gray May God bless you. Commissioned is my go to for hard and sad times.
@AlphaJacksCereal
I'm so moved everytime Fred comes in w "..sitting in church on a Sunday and just before we begin to pray..." 😢 I love this song. This is a favorite group of mine.
@jessey141
AlphaJacks Cereal thought I was the only who likes that part :-). my big brother who's a preacher brought their music back..from home drc congo, and now in ireland walking to work with this song (feeling down today but God is Great!!). defeat i deny it...
@tangelahenderson2198
Neat☺️🤗🤗🤗😁
@michaelsherron7815
Yep! Absolutely.
@jeffwashingtonjr4997
I was a heathen but I played this song every morning before school my senior year of high school back in '96.... It touched my soul!
@clearvision1007
Thank you for you reply! I listened to this whole cassette tape in my high school years.
@jimcopper7442
No Doubt Jeffrey.
That's why your Angel inspired U to listen to it in the first place. Despite your deeds, Your spirit was yearning. His grace never gives up on U.