Concrete Angel is a country pop song written by Stephanie Bentley and Rob Crosby and recorded by American country music artist Martina McBride. Martina is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. The lyrics of this song have much to do with child abuse. In society today, child abuse is a major issue, though it is not often focused on. Many people are not even aware of this issue because it is not emphasized in the media. In Martina McBride’s song, many people can relate. This song makes a huge difference to any child who struggled with abuse growing up.
The narrator tells a story about 7-year-old named Angela Carter. Near the end, her mother beats Angela to death. Some people, such as Angela's teacher, see signs of abuse on Angela but end up ignoring them. McBride's character expresses the physical embodiment of child abuse. "Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday, she hides the bruises with the linen and lace, oh". These lyrics are used not only to describe the young girl in the song, but also to describe the characteristics of an abused child. These first lines in the song start to give the listener an idea of what an abused child may look like. The idea of hiding bruises shows that she has been abused the same way a typical abused child would have bruises or injuries.
The young girl in the song is also used to show the mental consequences that result from child abuse. Although seeing physical signs of abuse can be simple, there are also mental signs of abuse that are often more difficult to see. "It's hard to see the pain behind the mask". This line in concrete angel symbolizes the emotional trauma the young girl was withholding from her teacher and classmates. An abused child, like Angela, may choose to hide their emotional problems. "Sometimes she wishes she was never born". The child can also frequently blame themselves for the behavior and actions of their abuser. This can cause them to have feelings such as wishing they were never born or wanting to commit suicide.
The writer does take a stand, a position that advocates belief and conviction.The writer wants to convey to society that abused children are trapped in their situations. For instances, when Angela goes to school “Nobody knows what she’s holdin’ back." There are no resources for her to go too. This song is advocating that there should be more ways to help children, who are being abused before it is too late. Without that the child will indeed feel isolated and hopeless. The abused child will never feel true freedom and the feeling of being loved.
Abused children do not deserve the life that they are forced to live; this idea is shown through McBride’s character in the song. "A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate". This line from Concrete Angel describes what an abused child goes through and how isolated they feel. Martina is trying to show viewers that a child who has been abused is not to be blamed. Fate just lead them to a different route, sadly.
The child in the song tells a story which shows what the fate of an abused child could be if the problem is ignored. "A statue stands in a shaded place, An angel girl with an upturned face". This represents the death of the character in the song. The character is used to represent what the outcome of an abuse situation could possibly be for a child in society today if the problem is ignored. "A broken heart that the world forgot". This line represents how society will often just ignore or not acknowledge the issue of child abuse. Like in the song, child abuse played a huge role in Angela’s death.
An abused child does not deserve the life that they live; the young girl tells a story of what could happen to an abused child if the issue is ignored. Overall the child in the song is used to represent what a typical abused child may physically look like, emotionally feel, and what the sad outcome could be for the child if the issue is not addressed.
