Concrete Angel
Encyclopedia
"Concrete Angel" is the title of a song recorded by American country music
artist Martina McBride
and co-produced by McBride and Paul Worley
. Composed by Rob Crosby
and Stephanie Bentley
, the song was released in 2002, as the last single from McBride's 2001 Greatest Hits
album. The song went on to reach #5 on the country music charts.
and in a different context, bullying. The narrator tells a story about a 7 year old little girl (named Angela Carter in the music video) who's trying to deal with abuse from her alcoholic mother. In the end, her mother beats her until she dies. Some people, like the girl's teacher, seem to notice signs of abuse, but just try to ignore it.
) befriends her. One night Angela is talking to the boy, who is in a house that no one lives in because the lights were out, and her mother catches her and beats her to death. After the beating, an ambulance and police officers are shown at her house. At the end of the video, it shows the little girl's grave (marked 1995-2002), surrounded by a group of people, including her teacher, and the little boy from earlier. (It is implied he was also beaten to death.) The boy phases through the adults, hugs the angel of the girl and they run to meet another group of abused children. At the end, they run off into the horizon. When the video was originally released, it featured the phone number for the child abuse hotline and encouraged viewers to report abuse.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
and co-produced by McBride and Paul Worley
Paul Worley
Paul Worley is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Records' Nashville division as chief creative officer...
. Composed by Rob Crosby
Rob Crosby
Robert Crosby Hoar , is an American country music artist, known professionally as Rob Crosby. Between 1990 and 1996, Rob charted eight singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. He has also recorded six studio albums, with his most recent, Catfish Baby, being released in 2007...
and Stephanie Bentley
Stephanie Bentley
Stephanie Kay Bentley is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 1996 as a duet partner on Ty Herndon's single "Heart Half Empty", which peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
, the song was released in 2002, as the last single from McBride's 2001 Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Martina McBride album)
-Album:-Singles:...
album. The song went on to reach #5 on the country music charts.
Content
"Concrete Angel" is a power ballad, centering around a main theme of child abuseChild abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and in a different context, bullying. The narrator tells a story about a 7 year old little girl (named Angela Carter in the music video) who's trying to deal with abuse from her alcoholic mother. In the end, her mother beats her until she dies. Some people, like the girl's teacher, seem to notice signs of abuse, but just try to ignore it.
Music video
In the video, Angela Carter (Noel Wiggins), is a young girl with an abusive mother. She goes to school, where the teacher and other students ignore the bruises that she has on her body, either because they think she just had a minor accident or it's to avoid having problems with the family. One day a boy who is an angel (played by Luke BenwardLuke Benward
Luke Aaron Benward is an American teen actor and singer, best known for his starring role as Billy Forrester in How to Eat Fried Worms and as Charlie Tuttle in the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie, Minutemen. He also played the role of "Nicky" in Mostly Ghostly: Who Let the Ghosts Out? and...
) befriends her. One night Angela is talking to the boy, who is in a house that no one lives in because the lights were out, and her mother catches her and beats her to death. After the beating, an ambulance and police officers are shown at her house. At the end of the video, it shows the little girl's grave (marked 1995-2002), surrounded by a group of people, including her teacher, and the little boy from earlier. (It is implied he was also beaten to death.) The boy phases through the adults, hugs the angel of the girl and they run to meet another group of abused children. At the end, they run off into the horizon. When the video was originally released, it featured the phone number for the child abuse hotline and encouraged viewers to report abuse.
Cover versions
- Spanish singer Marta SánchezMarta SánchezMarta Sánchez López is a Spanish female vocalist. She was born on 8 May 1966 in Madrid. Her father, Antonio Sánchez Camporro, was a Galician opera singer.- Biography :...
covered the song as "Cómo Un Ángel" in her album Soy Yo, released in 2002. - Canadian IdolCanadian IdolCanadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
winner Melissa O'NeilMelissa O'NeilMelissa Crystal O'Neil is a Canadian singer who was the winner of the third season of Canadian Idol in 2005. She was the first female winner and is the second youngest idol winner in the world, with the youngest being 2004 Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan...
covered the song on the album High Notes. - It was also covered later by DJ Boonie.
- Jackie EvanchoJackie EvanchoJacqueline Marie "Jackie" Evancho is an American child singer described as a classical crossover artist. After entering some talent competitions, issuing an independent album, Prelude to a Dream, and attracting interest on YouTube, she gained wider popularity in 2010 with her performances in the...
also covered the song for her debut-album Prelude to a DreamPrelude to a DreamPrelude to a Dream is Jackie Evancho's debut album released on November 15, 2009. By early September 2010 it had been withdrawn from public sale...
.
Chart performance
"Concrete Angel" debuted at #52 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 30, 2002.| Chart (2002-2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 47 |