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Holding Out Hope

by Céran

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1.
"HOPE'S OVERTURE" OFFICIAL LYRICS SPOKEN WORD Hope that is seen is no hope at all Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have We wait for it patiently And when adversity has me against the ropes I look to my faith And hold out hope
2.
Everybody 02:52
"EVERYBODY" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I It’s the weekend— Hope no Havoc’s wreakin’ ‘Cause you’re the One I’m seekin’ Come on I landed A gig and Could be something Big and you’re The one I’m diggin’ Come on CHORUS Everybody We’re here to Start a party But make sure It’s cool—not shoddy Let’s go Everybody We’ve come to Rock our bodies But let’s stay Nice—not naughty Let’s go VERSE II It’s my season And your love’s The only reason So just stop The teasin’ Come on This could be fun ‘Cause you’re My number one It ain’t done Till it’s done Come on [Chorus] BRIDGE I put all my Hopes and dreams In this one girl Who broke my seams But this love vision Has spurred me To make this Pivotal decision [Chorus]
3.
"THE SENTIMENT OF LOVE" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I Love is more than a virtue Love is more than me and you Love’s a territory unknown Without a love to call my own You could give me all life’s finer things Embezzle me with diamonds and rings But this all amounts to none Without love CHORUS Love’s more than acts of devotion The sentiment of love is emotion My eyes are beholding your beauty— For your love sets me free VERSE II Love’s what I live for each day Love is more than words can say Love’s worth values more than gold Love brings me a hand to hold Of love I am in need Love will never falter nor mislead And it’s you that I sing of ‘Cause of love [Chorus] BRIDGE Love My strength is in you Love My spirit is made of Love [Chorus]
4.
Time to Rise 03:17
"TIME TO RISE" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I Since it’s my special occasion, I’m gonna shine And I’m really gonna make it all mine I’ve waited for this moment for oh so long And if this feeling ain’t right, I’ll go ‘head and be wrong ‘Cause this is my sign And it’s my time to shine CHORUS Time to rise (It’s time to rise and open my eyes) And go for that prize (It's justified—a blessing in disguise) I will strive (make an effort to try to make an effort to try) And I won’t be denied VERSE II Like a lion reigning high on throne as king I can’t fail—to succeed that’s the only thing I’ll steal away like a thief in the dusk With success that’s the only option—it’s a must ‘Cause this is my sign And it’s my time to shine [Chorus] BRIDGE I have seen the light The future shines so bright [Chorus]
5.
Who You Are 03:20
"WHO YOU ARE" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I Fortune isn’t far from us And the stars are only made from dust But if you just give me your trust Those dreams won’t be your incubus Oh baby, I know who you think you are A great big star And oh baby You’ll be Venus—I’ll be Mars We’ll go real far CHORUS Life ain’t so hard It does not matter how you start Go with your heart Reach for the top of the charts Stay who you are Or else your essence will be forever marred VERSE II You may think having this is a must And you haven’t reached the core of the crust But deep inside both of us We’re beating odds—we’re on the cusp Oh baby, I know who you think you are A great big star And oh baby You’ll be Venus—I’ll be Mars We’ll go real far [Chorus] INSTRUMENTAL BREAK TRANSITION Oh baby, I know who you think you are A great big star And oh baby You’ll be Venus—I’ll be Mars We’ll go real far [Chorus] Lyrics were inspired by Céran’s original quote, which was, in turn, inspired by the biblical verses of Jude 6 and Jude 13. “Indubitably, no matter where you come from or who you are, where you are is deeply interconnected with who you are; therefore, stay where you’re at to remain who you are.” {Jude 1:6} "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." {Jude 1:13} "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."
6.
This Is Love 03:48
"THIS IS LOVE" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I If someone told you That I don’t love you anymore I would be crazy If I left running through that door I will adore you In summer, winter, spring, and fall Till the end of time For you I’d even risk it all Girl, all I really wanna say is… CHORUS I’m gonna love you And I’m gonna hold you So forget what they told you ‘Cause this is love Sent from heaven above VERSE II I can’t imagine Us ever being apart I’ll always be there Even when it’s from afar You’ve amazed me Simply by just being you A love so special That God has bestowed on us And even on my dying day... [Chorus] BRIDGE Waited all my life For a love just like this And I toiled through the strife Just to find you and I’m so… Happy So… [Chorus]
7.
Topaz 04:12
"TOPAZ" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I Could this be something I hope it’s not nothing Love’s more than coating Unlike skin eroding I gave you my power Your love crushed my tower And now here we are— Blissfulness not too far CHORUS Even in pain Your sun stops my rain I’ll be your knight— Your dragon is slain Your heart is so lush Much stronger than lust Began as a crush You give me that rush VERSE II Your soul is so pure Your virtue was my cure You’re that match to my fire— Every burning desire And it seems so inane That I can’t quite explain Why your lamp’s light—so sweet Sweeps me off of my feet [Chorus] BRIDGE Just as Topaz Our past is what Makes our future last And we start With the beats of our hearts [Chorus]
8.
Light of Day 05:12
"LIGHT OF DAY" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I When the world gets cruel and mean And danger lurks around unseen I will be there to intervene When darkness knocks at your door And safety’s what you search for You won’t have to look anymore CHORUS If you wanna be saved Then baby come my way And hear me when I say You’ll see the Light of Day Don’t you shy away And don’t you have no shame We can fly away To the Light of Day VERSE II When confusion passes by Just look above towards the sky And you’ll know every answer to “why” When you’ve tried and you’ve tried And your hope has all but died Don’t you dare give up on that fight (Alright) [Chorus] INSTRUMENTAL BREAK REFRAIN If you wanna be saved Then baby come my way And hear me when I say We’ll see the Light of Day Don’t you shy away And don’t you have no shame We can fly away To the Light of Day OUTRO We can fly away To the Light of Day (yeah) Hear me when I say We’ll find the Light of Day Lyrics to this song were inspired by the biblical verse: "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness" (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
9.
You Said 04:42
"YOU SAID" OFFICIAL LYRICS CHORUS You said That you’d never ever leave Oh you said That you would never deceive Me—you led… Me to always believe That this ain’t dead But this love is in recede VERSE I I long played the fool In your wound up web But I won’t be around To be spun up and misled Gave you all of me I gave you all that I had But it’s such a pity That you ain’t gave a tad To this after all the things that you promised and that… [Chorus] VERSE II She done broke my heart For the last time The final flame has burned out Now all’s left is the shout You promised me That you would be true But I kept comin’ back And I could long see in view That you was no good and I knew long ago because… [Chorus] BRIDGE See I tried and I tried But this love has died I won’t give you Another chance to change You’ll stay the same ‘Cause... [Chorus]
10.
"BE NOT FALTERED" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I I have succumbed To this fire in me So I’ll become The man I aim to be Can’t overcome The dreams that I seek So I will strum To the beat of my destiny Can’t seem to deem All they can be are mere dreams So I give in To the passions from within CHORUS In me, a burning desire’s therein I will not be stopped, faltered, nor chagrined Even against all the odds I know I’ll achieve All’s possible in God All I have to do is believe… VERSE II Can’t give up now This journey’s only begun Failure’s disallowed But can’t fly too close to the sun I work so hard To make sure the skies I’ll touch Can’t disregard The little things—they mean so much I will not stop when I know where I have been This ain’t no sin I’m going for the win [Chorus] BRIDGE I never let Obstacles offset my dreams When my destiny’s met My soul is set free I knew if I sought truth And kept my head high My time in the limelight Would be very nigh [Chorus]
11.
"REPROBATE MINDS" OFFICIAL LYRICS VERSE I Faith is required To undo one’s Deceitful desires Avarice governs The masses’ Blissful ignorance Are we sovereigns Or are we slaves In the abyss? There’s only One remedy To this dire tragedy CHORUS Just tell us why The secrets you hide Is what’s utilized To oppress, dehumanize Faith in the Most High Cures reprobate minds But when cynics doubt Pure intent gets left out VERSE II The god of this world Was hurled down— Now his wrath has unfurled He sits on A pot of gold— The new order’s Just the old The minds Of the blind Are so low Never above—just below Material wealth Is a main threat To spiritual health So... [Chorus] BRIDGE Concise paradise Contradicts itself Draining the spirit Till there’s nothing left To hope for the unknown Is my destiny Till I reap what I’ve sown [Chorus] Lyrics to this song were inspired by the biblical verse: "For this cause AHAYAH gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain AHAYAH in their knowledge, AHAYAH gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of AHAYAH, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of AHAYAH, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Romans 1:26-32).

about

“Holding Out Hope” is the fourth and final full-length studio album by Céran. Recording sessions for the album took place in Céran's home studio in his native Kansas City, Missouri, between September 2016 and February 2017. Self-released on December 5, 2017, the album bowed on the 26th birthday of Céran's middle and high school peer and 2010 class valedictorian of Céran's alma mater in the elite Pembroke Hill School, Michael Gerald Dieterle, of Belton, Missouri, who graduated with Céran in the Class of 2010 and would matriculate in 2014 at the prestigious California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, where Céran's father earned all 12 credit hours attempted as a candidate for a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary in the early 2000s. Inspired by the biblical verse of Romans 8:22-25, Céran's farewell album, "Holding Out Hope," is a reflection of Céran's faith and spirituality, and also explores themes that reflect lyrical content that is by far his most socially conscious to date. “Holding Out Hope” (2017) fuses God-conscious lyrical profundity with tunes that evoke melodic soulfulness, and this album is the full-length follow-up to Céran's first three critically- and commercially-acclaimed studio albums, “The Art of Céran" (2012), “Verity” (2014), and “Live, and Let Love” (2015). The music of this record features a vast array of musical genres including Pop, R&B, Funk, Reggae, Rock, Soul, Neoclassical, Latin, New Wave, among others that reflect Céran's long history with international music, as well as his eleven-year background as a classically-trained musician. Regarding the songwriting process, lyrical themes on the album include agape, emotional turbulence, God-consciousness, heartbreak, inner-confidence, introspection, love, nostalgia, optimism, social consciousness, spirituality, wistfulness, among others. In regard to the album's commercial performance, streams accrued in most continents of the inhabited world with the sole exception being continental Australia for Céran's fourth and final full-length offering including in countries/territories such as Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, the United Kingdom, as well as domestically in the United States. The album was preceded by two official singles, "Everybody," and "Reprobate Minds," and additionally spawned four promotional singles, among them, “Light of Day,” “The Sentiment of Love,” “Who You Are,” and “This Is Love.” To this day, "Holding Out Hope" stands behind only "Verity" and "The Art of Céran," respectively, and remains as Céran's thirdmost critically- and commercially-successful studio album in his four-album catalog.

Genres: Alternative R&B, St. Louis Blues, Calypso, Contemporary Christian music (CCM), Contemporary R&B, Funk, Hard rock, Hip hop soul, Kansas City jazz, Latin, Motown, Neoclassical, New Wave, Pop, Progressive Soul, Psychedelia, R&B, Reggae, Soul, Spoken Word, Synth-pop, UK garage, World

Total time: 40:41

"[Céran is] an absolute musical genius. [The] music [on his fourth studio album, “Holding Out Hope”] has the power to heal a world that's in pain and hurting."

~Kansas City, MO's Rev. Coleman Douglas McClain, Sr., M.Div., MBA of Greensburg in Greater Pittsburgh, PA

credits

released December 5, 2017

All songs were written, composed, arranged, sung, orchestrated, and produced by Céran [Carlton Dubois McClain], with the exception of "Hope's Overture," which interpolates the classical piece "Romance Op. 24, No. 9" by Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, and features some biblical text taken from the book of Romans, chapter 8, verses 22 through 25. Additional mixing and mastering was provided by Emmy Award-winning Kansas City-area recording engineer, Jazman "Jaz" Brewer, at 64111 Studio in Kansas City, Missouri (Jaz Brewer won an Emmy for his work on the documentary "A Century of Change" Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Anniversary!).

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Céran Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri-native, Carlton Dubois McClain, who performs musically under the mononym, Céran, is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed, and global-selling Pop/R&B singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, record producer, and recording artist.

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/ceranmusic
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