Martina McBride: Concrete Angel Meaning
Song Released: 2002
Concrete Angel Lyrics
Nobody knows what she's holding back;
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday.
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace,oh
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask,
It's hard to see the...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:"She walks to school with a lunch she packed"
This means that the little girl (played by Noel Wiggins in the music video has to fend for herself. No one takes her to school or packs her lunch for her.
"Nobody knows what she's holding back"
This means that the girl is hiding something, but no one knows what it is.
"Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday"
This means that the girl might be living in poverty. In the music video, her dress is dirty and tattered. This further suggests that she is poor and that no one really takes care of her.
"She hides the bruises with linen and lace"
This suggests that the girl is abused. Earlier in the music video, we see her mother (played by Jane Lynch) and we assume now that her mother is the abuser. This also suggests that she is afraid to speak up about what is happening to her.
"The teacher wonders, but she doesn't ask"
This means that although people notice there is something wrong, no one tries to help. In the music video, we see the concerned teacher looking at finger-shaped bruises on the girl's arms.
"It's hard to see the pain behind the mask"
This means that although it is clear the girl is unhappy, no one really knows enough to understand what is happening. This line helps us to understand why the teacher doesn't try to help. The part about the mask shows that the girl hides (masks) her emotions (pain).
"Bearing the burden of a secret storm"
This means that the girl is experiencing emotional turmoil (a proverbial storm), but she keeps it a secret. Keeping this secret is a huge burden for her to bear.
"Sometimes she wishes she was never born"
This means that the girl feels as if her life has no purpose. In the music video, the girl sits on a bench alone at recess while the other kids play. This suggests that she has no friends.
"Through the wind and the rain, she stands hard as a stone"
This means that although bad things happen to the girl, she stays strong. In the music video, a little boy comes to sit with her and they begin to talk. It is later implied that the boy is an angel and a fellow victim of child abuse.
"In a world that she can't rise above"
This means that the girl has difficulty finding happiness in her life and overcoming the challenges she faces each day. In the music video, she laughs and smiles with the angel boy. This suggests that he is bringing her happiness and helping her "rise above", despite what the lyrics say. However, this is only temporary.
"But her dreams give her wings"
This means that the girl's dreams give her hope and help her escape from reality and "rise above".
"And she flies to a place where she's loved"
This means that although the girl feels unloved in "a world that she can't rise above", there is a place she can reach where she will feel happy and loved. Arguably, this place is Heaven.
"Concrete angel"
This means that the girl is strong (like concrete) She is good (like an angel) and has done nothing wrong.
"Somebody cries in the middle of the night"
This seems fairly self-explanatory. However, some people have argued that the girl is crying out for help rather than actually weeping. I believe it is the latter, but lyrics are always open for interpretation.
"The neighbors hear, but they turn out the light"
This means that the neighbors don't try to help.
"A fragile soul caught in the hand of fate"
This means that the girl was "fragile" and unable to defend herself. At this point, her "fate" was inexorable.
"When morning comes, it'll be too late"
This means that the damage was done. The girl died.
*Chorus*
"A statue stands in a shaded place"
The statue is a memorial in the likeness of the girl.
"An angel girl with an upturned face"
This describes the statue in the music video.
"Her name is written on a polished rock"
This describes the grave in the music video. In the video, the girl's name is Angela Carter. This is also the name of the singer's niece, for whom the song was written.
"A broken heart that the world forgot"
This means that the injustices Angela suffered were not remembered for long after her tragic death.
*Chorus*
Author's Note: My heart goes out to anyone who has ever been abused. If you are currently in a dangerous situation like Angela's, please get help. There is hope for you. There are people who can help you. It is not too late. Good luck. Love to all. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:Hey there. A lot of people have requested this so I thought I'd give it shot. This song is about child abuse. Look at the lyrics. She walks to school with a lunch she packed shows that she is responsible for herself. Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday says that no one cares enough to give her clean clothing. She hides the bruises with the linen and lace shows that she is scared to say what is happening to her. The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask it's hard to see the pain behind the mask says that people do wonder but the girl seems happy enough so they don't really want to ask. Bearing the burden of a secret storm sometimes she wishes she was never born says that she is in danger and knows it but doesn't want to anything about it out of fear.
The chorus is really great. It says through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above. This relates to the concrete part in that she stands hard as a stone and also to the angel part in she can't rise above. An angel with broken wings possibly? But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved says that although all these awful things are happening to her she still dreams of a better place and eventually she will leave this hellhole and go where she is loved i.e. Heaven :-)
The third verse is somebody cries in the middle of the night the neighbours hear but they turn out the light. This says that on the one time she does cry out for help is the one time when people metaphorically cross the road and ignore it. Out of sight, out of mind. I think this is terrible. A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate, when morning comes it'll be too late. This means that she has no escape and by morning it will be too late to help because she will have already moved on.
The last verse is very emotional and it says a statue stands in a shaded place and angel girl with an upturned face. It is too late. She has died. This describes her grave. Her name is written on a polished rock, a broken heart that the world forgot means that the only memory of her is a gravestone but it doesn't matter anyway because the world has already forgotten her. I hope this helps you to understand this truly amazing song. If you wish to examine it further you can probably find the video online somewhere. It is a truly inspirational song and deserves every bit of praise it gets. Thank you for reading this.
A Dead Rose Bears No Thorns @)-- -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:The song is about child abuse, and it has a story about a little girl (named Angela Carter in the video, who is played by Noel Wiggins) who is abused by her mother until the abuse goes too far, and the little girl is killed. But luckily, she then "flies to a place where she's loved" -- in other words, she goes to Heaven, the place of angels.
Martina says the song is a true story; it's about her niece, who was abused by her mother (Martina's sister) after her mother and father split. Then one day, Martina's niece was killed.
The song was written and dedicated to the memory of her niece.
This song is both beautiful and bittersweet. :) Kudos to Martina for writing such a sad but sweet song. :) -
Hi I was abused as a child too.
My read dad when I was 2 and a half was crushed to death on the land we was building our home.
He Joe pushed my mom out to save her life.
My mom because very abusive not long after his death.
We wear clean clothes to school.
But our mom because abusive after a few years.
I was locked in my closet for hours and it was back then based on pride so my mom made it all look like we had the best.
I remember being lined up at the wall in the front room and shot at.
Also I was sick in the hospital a lot because I was born with acidosis.
But I got saved at 6 and 4 months old and I loved my Lord so much.
I tried to think of ways to kill my self like jumping in front of a huge truck at the age of 13.
But the Lord would not let me.
Abuse is deadly if you see it please report it and save a child's life.
Jesus is the only way to truly forgive all the wrong done to people amen. -
I go Crowder College in Pineville Missouri, I have English Comp 101 on Wend. I am currently enrolled in the Criminal Justice program. The Juvenile Justice system is where I want my career to end. After Listening to this song several times over the years. I have chosen your video to write one of my Papers on. I hope that when my schooling and training is finished. I can make some small difference in the world. Some one, Some where has to say...... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH .
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I do understand that this kind of this happens in this world all the dang time and If I could I would stop all of it right now. Angelina didn't deserve to die that way at all but also she didn't deserve to be abused all of that time.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This song...in the video is about a girl who was abused by her mother, she had no friends until one day the boy in the video (luke benward) came up to her and became her best friend but that day the abuse went to far and the girl was killed, i guess the boy knew it was going to happen so he was sent down to bring her home (heaven) to a place where she is loved
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Is this video really too and if it is why can't I find anything on the story. Does anyone know did the mother go to jail?
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So sad this song is my favorite bye you and I hope she is safe in good arms.:'(
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it is beautiful about a little girl that is domestically abused by her horrible mother and ends up being killed.
how sad, makes me cry. -
My mother showed me this one day and I couldn't stop crying! So this is what it's about:
The little girl named Angela is being abused by her mother. She dosen't have any friends except for a boy who was abused and killed by his parents and became a concrete angel. One night her mother takes it to far and ends up killing her. This song is so sad, you should watch the video for a better meaning of it. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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The song was about her niece, who was beaten to death by her alcoholic mother not about Rape. her song sends an important message out to never ignore signs of child abuse it may have consequences if you do, the video was sad that's why we should prevent abuse rather then igore it.
J.L your fan -
This is a beautiful song/story my condolences to the McBride family on their tragic loss, this is why if someone knows about child abuse they should come forward and not hesitate and wait. Thank you for sending this important message out to open people's eyes and prevent another death in the future,
sincerely yours, J.L
your fan -
my name is sam im 20 years old and i dedicated this song to myself i was abused by my father.. and i made it out of the situation in one piece but was broken till my little girl angiel came into my life my father loved me but he had problems it is not ok for abuse and when i see it or in a since that it is happening i will remove that child or children and give the parent or parents a piece of my damn mind
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This song helps me. I used to be abused by my mother but I told my daycare teacher and my dad and one day I didn't have to see her anymore
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