How McBride made us cry in “Concrete Angel”

‘Concrete Angel’ is a song recorded by American singer Martina McBride. Rob Crosby and Stephanie Bentley were the composers of this great song.  November 2002 was its release as the fourth and last single from McBride’s Greatest Hits album. The theme conveyed by this song is about a child being maltreated by an abusive and alcoholic parent. McBride herself has been described as the ‘Celine Dion of Country’ due to her vocal range and song style. It reflected through ‘Concrete Angel’ as it debuted at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Single. Eventually, it reached the number 5 spot. It even reached to pop audience as it peaked in U.S. Billboard hot 100 at the 47^th spot.

Martina McBride as an Angel

No one in country music has done more to bring awareness to abuse than Martina McBride. In her prior song “Independence Day”, it was about spousal abuse.  With “Concrete Angel” the theme is about child abuse. The lyrics of the song tell the story about the hardships of a little girl, as she experienced a dreadful life from her alcoholic and abusive mother.

The Music Video

The music video enhances thoughts about the song lyrics. The small clips show the young lady’s life. While showing this, McBride sings the melody like a narrator a sort of emotional ‘Chorale’ figure. She wears a dark jumper with winged sleeves, maybe mirroring the video’s references to angels. The video ended with a sad but hopeful message. The video showed a kid going through a sort of paradise. She is welcomed by cheerful kids, safe from harm, and that she can freely and happily play with her friends.

“I’ve certainly had a lot of people tell me when I’m performing at shows what the song means to them,” said co-writer Rob Crosby.

“The fact that a few kids have seen the music video, which flashes the number for Child Help USA, and have been able to escape a bad situation is a gratifying thing.”