Concrete Sea

Album: Terry Jacks Greatest Hits (1972)
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Songfacts®:

  • The year before he released "Seasons in the Sun," Terry Jacks issued this single in Canada. He was also recording at the time with his then-wife Susan as The Poppy Family; the duo had a #1 Canadian hit in 1969 with "Which Way You Goin' Billy?"

    Jacks did some solo recordings at this time because he didn't want to adapt some of his more heartfelt songs for Susan's voice.
  • The song deals with human ecology and the wonders of nature. The "concrete sea" is the urban landscape that seemed unnatural and stifling to Jacks.

    When he got his payday from "Seasons in the Sun," Jacks bought a boat and spent a lot of time sailing around Vancouver and Alaska. He felt a commitment to the environment, and set out to preserve it, taking on Canadian companies who were polluting the waters. For 12 years, he left music behind to protest these companies, which he did through legal actions and media outreach. His love of nature never wavered - Terry eventually settled in Madeira Park, British Columbia, a remote territory in northern Canada. In the digital age, he chose outdoor pursuits over the Internet. He refers to computers as "Hell Machines." (learn more in our Terry Jacks interview)

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