Friday, October 15, 2010

Week 7--Song Lyrics

A song I feel has a strong emotional appeal is "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride. It is the story of a girl who dies as a result of child abuse, while "the teacher wonders but she doesn't ask" (l 5), and "the neighbors hear but they turn out the light" (l 15). The use of these two phrases appeal to the intended listeners--those who perhaps didn't ask the right questions or ignored a possible problem--and causes them to feel a sense of responsibility and increased motivation to save children from the fate described in the song.
A second tool used by the songwriter is a use of precise diction. The fact that the girl's name is never mentioned, along with words and phrases such as "holding back" "hiding" "mask" and "secret storm" combined with the last line of the final verse: "a broken heart that the world forgot" indicates to the listeners that this girl is an unknown. She hides her troubles from the world, and the people around her wonder but don't ask, overlooking her until she is completely forgotten. Again, this tool appeals to the listeners' sense of responsibility, but also to a sense of guilt. It causes them to ask themselves how many times they have perhaps allowed "broken heart" to be forgotten, and to see the possible ramifications of their neglect.
This song is a call to remember this girl and those like her for whom there is still time. Martina McBride effectively employs descriptions of "character" (for lack of a better term) actions and specific diction to evoke emotions of responsibility and guilt in the listeners, causing them to have an increased motivation to protect their community and avoid the creation of any more "concrete angels."
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CONCRETE ANGEL -Martina McBride

She walks to school with the lunch she packed
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 pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born

Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved concrete angel

Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear but they turn out the light
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it will be too late

Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved concrete angel

A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot

Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved concrete angel

4 comments:

  1. I've always loved this song too. Its so meaningful and tragic that it almost make me tear up every time. It makes you want to help that little girl but then you realize that its too late. It makes me have a desire to help children like her all over the world. Good choice of song

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  2. This is a very emotional song. A couple of my friends were talking about it one day and how it makes them cry every time they hear it. I didn't understand how a song could make you cry, so I decided to go listen to it. Martina McBride did an excellent job of portraying the tragedy of child abuse. It definitely appealed to my emotions. Her word choice is excellent.

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  3. I think you're right on with the appeals of this song. She does seem to be going to lengths to keep that child anonymous, as if giving her audience a direct warning that this is more than a story; child abuse happens around us every day, and we should do our part to protect the children before the worst happens. Thanks for your thoughts.

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  4. This is an interesting song to choose to analyze. I really like your thoughts about it, especially considering the meaning of the song. I have never heard this particular song before, but I looked it up on itunes and listened to it. As sad as it is, it really is beautiful.

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