I wouldn't say that since SQL was an improvement over previous ways to query data which were more concrete, like writing C code to get what you need. As such we

I wouldn't say that since SQL was an improvement over previous ways to query data which were more concrete, like writing C code to get what you need. As such we are on a level of abstraction higher. Thus SQL specifies the "what", not the "how", with respect to those previous methods. However in complex queries, since we are constrained by the relational model (PK/FK), we may have a feeling of having to specify too much details.