If You See Something, Do Something
Many generations view music as a form of entertainment only, so our society tends to overlook the messages behind the music. Some artists use music to promote their beliefs or inform their listeners about overlooked issues. Music spreads awareness about misfortunes in the world, and Martina McBride used her celebrity status to promote her own concerns about child abuse. In 2002, Martina McBride recorded a song “Concrete Angel” to spread awareness about child abuse. Her song is intended for the general population that consist of bystanders because most people are aware of tragedies such as child abuse but refuse to report them. Through the elements of plot, characterization, and foreshadowing, “Concrete Angel” …show more content…
The child appears to be neglected when Martina McBride sings, “She walks to school with the lunch she packed/ Nobody knows what she’s holdin’ back/ Wearin’ the same dress she wore yesterday” (1-3). The young girl shows signs of neglect because she is doing morning routines, like packing a lunch, without the help of a parent. Being very young, this is odd for the child to do by herself. The audience can assume the parents are disinterested in their daughter because the girl wore the same dress as the day before. Both lyrics are signs that the parents are uninvolved in the girl’s life. Child abuse is mentioned in verse one when the artist sings, “She hides the bruises with linen and lace” (line 4), while verse three says, “A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate/ When mornin’ comes it’ll be too late” (17-18). The audience concludes that the girl’s bruises are from her parents, and her parents’ abuse threatened her life. The overall story is about a girl who is a victim of abuse, but the artist’s main goal is to raise awareness of child abuse. The song’s heart-wrenching melody played on the piano catches the listeners’ attention, which encourages listeners to inform others of child abuse. This reaction to the song is the reason people begin to recognize and understand child abuse. Martina McBride felt it was necessary to call attention to unrecognized problems because she …show more content…
Even though the child was continuously mistreated, she remained strong, which is expressed in the chorus. The beginning of the chorus says, “Through the wind and the rain/She stands hard as a stone” (19-20). Concrete is durable and is able to withstand weather conditions, which relates to the girl being strong. The next two lines of the chorus say, “In the world she can’t rise above/ But her dreams give her wings/ And she flies to a place where she’s loved” (21-23). In the song, the singer compares the girl to an angel because she rises above her horrible conditions and imagines having love. Even though the chorus’ clear focus is to describe the young girl, the chorus has an underlying concept; the chorus foreshadows her death at the end of the song because it explains that she becomes an angel and flies to a loving place. People most likely associate angels with heaven; therefore, the listeners can assume that she will pass away to a place like heaven. The chorus symbolizes many ideas throughout the entire song, and the chorus accomplishes sympathy for the young girl, which helps spread awareness. The chorus tugs on people’s heartstrings, and it persuades people to stop being
Many generations view music as a form of entertainment only, so our society tends to overlook the messages behind the music. Some artists use music to promote their beliefs or inform their listeners about overlooked issues. Music spreads awareness about misfortunes in the world, and Martina McBride used her celebrity status to promote her own concerns about child abuse. In 2002, Martina McBride recorded a song “Concrete Angel” to spread awareness about child abuse. Her song is intended for the general population that consist of bystanders because most people are aware of tragedies such as child abuse but refuse to report them. Through the elements of plot, characterization, and foreshadowing, “Concrete Angel” …show more content…
The child appears to be neglected when Martina McBride sings, “She walks to school with the lunch she packed/ Nobody knows what she’s holdin’ back/ Wearin’ the same dress she wore yesterday” (1-3). The young girl shows signs of neglect because she is doing morning routines, like packing a lunch, without the help of a parent. Being very young, this is odd for the child to do by herself. The audience can assume the parents are disinterested in their daughter because the girl wore the same dress as the day before. Both lyrics are signs that the parents are uninvolved in the girl’s life. Child abuse is mentioned in verse one when the artist sings, “She hides the bruises with linen and lace” (line 4), while verse three says, “A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate/ When mornin’ comes it’ll be too late” (17-18). The audience concludes that the girl’s bruises are from her parents, and her parents’ abuse threatened her life. The overall story is about a girl who is a victim of abuse, but the artist’s main goal is to raise awareness of child abuse. The song’s heart-wrenching melody played on the piano catches the listeners’ attention, which encourages listeners to inform others of child abuse. This reaction to the song is the reason people begin to recognize and understand child abuse. Martina McBride felt it was necessary to call attention to unrecognized problems because she …show more content…
Even though the child was continuously mistreated, she remained strong, which is expressed in the chorus. The beginning of the chorus says, “Through the wind and the rain/She stands hard as a stone” (19-20). Concrete is durable and is able to withstand weather conditions, which relates to the girl being strong. The next two lines of the chorus say, “In the world she can’t rise above/ But her dreams give her wings/ And she flies to a place where she’s loved” (21-23). In the song, the singer compares the girl to an angel because she rises above her horrible conditions and imagines having love. Even though the chorus’ clear focus is to describe the young girl, the chorus has an underlying concept; the chorus foreshadows her death at the end of the song because it explains that she becomes an angel and flies to a loving place. People most likely associate angels with heaven; therefore, the listeners can assume that she will pass away to a place like heaven. The chorus symbolizes many ideas throughout the entire song, and the chorus accomplishes sympathy for the young girl, which helps spread awareness. The chorus tugs on people’s heartstrings, and it persuades people to stop being