Concrete Angel

"Concrete Angel" is a song written by Stephanie Bentley and Rob Crosby, and recorded by American country music artist Martina McBride. It was released in November 2002 as the fourth and last single from McBride's Greatest Hits album. The song went on to reach #5 on the country music charts.^[1]

Content

"Concrete Angel" is a power ballad, centering around a main theme of child abuse and in a different context, bullying. The narrator tells a story about 7-year-old Angela Carter. Near the end, her mother beats Angela to death. Some people, such as Angela's teacher, notice signs of abuse but attempt to ignore them.

Music video

Angela Carter (Noel Wiggins), is the 7-year-old daughter of an abusive mother. As she walks to school, a girl looks at her and laughs at her (which could imply she was also a victim of bullying). While she's at school, the teacher and her classmates ignore the bruises on her body, either because they think she just had a minor accident or they want to avoid having problems with her family. One day, a boy who is an angel (Luke Benward) 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. But then, her mother catches her and beats her to death. After the beating, police officers and an ambulance are shown at her house. Angela's grave (marked 1995-2002) is shown, surrounded by a group of people, including her teacher, and her only friend. (It is implied that he was also beaten to death.) The boy passes through the adults, hugs the angel of Angela and both run to meet a group of abused children as they run off into the horizon. When the video was originally released, it featured the phone number for the American Child Abuse Hotline and encouraged viewers to report abuse.

Cover versions

Spanish singer Marta Sánchez covered the song as "Cómo Un Ángel" in her album Soy Yo, released in 2002.
Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil covered the song on the album High Notes.
Jackie Evancho covered the song in her debut-album Prelude to a Dream released in 2009 when she was nine years old.

Chart performance

"Concrete Angel" debuted at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 30, 2002.

Chart (2002-2003)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^{[ 1]}	5
US Billboard Hot 100^{[ 1]}	47

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[2]	33

References

↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 219.
↑ "Best of 2003: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2003. Retrieved July 13, 2012.

External links

Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

v t e Martina McBride singles

The Time Has Come	"The Time Has Come" "That's Me" "Cheap Whiskey"

The Way That I Am	"My Baby Loves Me" "Life #9" "Independence Day" "Heart Trouble" "Where I Used to Have a Heart"

Wild Angels	"Safe in the Arms of Love" "Wild Angels" "Phones Are Ringin' All Over Town" "Swingin' Doors" "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road"

Evolution	"A Broken Wing" "Valentine" (with Jim Brickman) "Happy Girl" "Wrong Again" "Whatever You Say"

Emotion	"I Love You" "Love's the Only House" "There You Are" "It's My Time"

Greatest Hits	"When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues" "Blessed" "Where Would You Be" "Concrete Angel"

Martina	"This One's for the Girls" "In My Daughter's Eyes" "How Far" "God's Will"

Timeless	"(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" "I Still Miss Someone" (featuring Dolly Parton)

Waking Up Laughing	"Anyway" "How I Feel" "For These Times"

Shine	"Ride" "I Just Call You Mine" "Wrong Baby Wrong"

Eleven	"Teenage Daughters" "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" "Marry Me" (featuring Pat Monahan)

Guest singles	"Still Holding On" (with Clint Black) "Trip Around the Sun" (with Jimmy Buffett)

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