Do Not Destroy
cicada rhythm Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One hundred miles north, towards the Georgia state line
Is a place that I used to call mine
It was just beyond the valley and deep within the wood
But now theres nothing where it once stood

And I always thought I'd have that place
These city walls have grown too close
and crowded what I need most

Do not destroy
what is mine, what also is yours

Long before the roads and the busy highways
Before the lights and concrete that fill it up today
Before the plastic promises that sold us what was free
I remember a better side of this country

And I always thought I'd have that place
These city walls have grown too close
and crowded what I need most





Do not destroy
what is mine, what also is yours

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Do Not Destroy" by Cicada Rhythm convey a sense of nostalgia and loss for a place that the singer once called their own. The location was in rural Georgia and could be interpreted as a reference to the changing landscape and loss of natural beauty due to urbanization and development of the area. The singer describes the place as being beyond a valley and deep within the woods, but now there is nothing where it once stood. The lyrics suggest that this loss has left a void that cannot be filled by the urban surroundings of a city.


The second verse of the song dives further into the idea of a lost way of life. The singer describes a time before busy highways, bright lights, and plastic promises that offered a different kind of experience in America. This is a subtle critique of modern society and how, in the singer's perspective, the country has lost touch with its roots. The loss of the singer's connection to the rural, natural world is a broader reflection of how society has damaged the world around us.


Overall, “Do Not Destroy” is a mournful and reflective song that speaks to the importance of preserving our natural environment and the simple, uncomplicated ways of life that are too often discarded in the march towards progress.


Line by Line Meaning

One hundred miles north, towards the Georgia state line
The singer used to own a place located around a hundred miles north towards the Georgia state line.


Is a place that I used to call mine
The place used to belong to the singer before.


It was just beyond the valley and deep within the wood
The place was situated somewhere beyond the valley and inside a forest.


But now theres nothing where it once stood
The place doesn't exist anymore and has been destroyed.


And I always thought I'd have that place
The artist believed that the place would always belong to them.


These city walls have grown too close
The singer feels like the city they live in has grown too close to them.


and crowded what I need most
The city has become too crowded and doesn't provide the singer with enough space.


Do not destroy
The artist requests to not destroy anything valuable.


what is mine, what also is yours
The artist implies that the things which belong to them also belong to others, and should not be destroyed by anyone.


Long before the roads and the busy highways
The artist remembers a time before the construction of modern roads and highways.


Before the lights and concrete that fill it up today
The singer remembers a time before city lights and concrete structures filled up the area.


Before the plastic promises that sold us what was free
The artist remembers a time before people were sold things that were supposed to be free, like natural resources.


I remember a better side of this country
The singer remembers a better time and a better version of their country.




Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Back to Eden

Such an amazing take and beautifully captured!

Kaylah Cohen

Excited to see you guys with Kishi Bashi in Philly! You guys give me Alt-J vibes, the head and the heart and just plain gorgeousness. Glad to have discovered you guys!

Jay Rich

Oh those harmonies ☆

Antti Kekkonen

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Luke Wiese

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HerdingDogRescuer

Great job at the Foundry last night!

Dik Beats

Bored me to death. What's the point in this crap?

Dik Beats

@Bob Kosturko to see or hear something good, but I'm obviously on the wrong page here.

Bob Kosturko

Why are you here?