Per the FAQ on Keane's website, Keane's drummer Richard Hughes, stated the following:
"We've been asked whether "Somewhere Only We Know" is about a specific place, and Tim has been saying that, for him, or us as individuals, it might be about a geographical space, or a feeling; it can mean something individual to each person, and they can interpret it to a memory of theirs... It's perhaps more of a theme rather than a specific message... Feelings that may be universal, without necessarily being totally specific to us, or a place, or a time..."
With the nostalgic sentiment and the overall tone of the song, I think Keane is attempting to express a Portuguese term known as 'saudade', which does not have a direct English translation but roughly means "that which we remember because it is gone."
The Smoke Witch says, "Wahoo!"
And the Wise Man says, "Me too!"
And the Guru says, "Wazoo!"
So do what you do!
The priests stand in their pulpits
The Pope sits on his throne
The parishes are empty
And the choirboys on their own
Until the second coming
Yes, they're leaving us alone
And God in His heaven
Has decided to keep mum
'Cause He's just another traveler
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He's just another one
Pity Mr. President
He can't do a thing
He says everywhere he went
We tried to make him sing
Our lonely White House resident
Says we should have made him King
Maybe then he could have saved us
From the truth we were hiding from
But he is just another traveler
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He was just another one
The General's in his game room
But his Soldier won't salute
Ever since he was promoted
He can't pop his chute
His shrink says he is paranoid
'Bout communistic roots
So unfurl the flag boys
Start beating his drum
Yes we've got to get another straggler
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He was just another one
He's another one
And the Smoke Witch says, "Wahoo!"
And the Wise Man says, "Me too!"
And the Guru says, "Wazoo!"
So do what you do!
Wow! The lead singers raucous
As he screams out the truth
Then the band hold a caucus
And decides to sell their youth
Our Manager he'll hawk us
As along as we're uncouth
And we'll call it revolution
But we'll crank out Bubble Gum
'Cause there's the margin doom for travelers
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He's just another one
Grampa swung into the orgy
It was his last hope
He was dressed to the nines
In deodorant and scope
And they found him a woman
She brought vaseline and soap
Well it started out exciting
But it ended up ho hum
She said, "I thought that you could take me
All the way to Kingdom Come"
When all is said and done
He's just another one grampa
So Billy sells hot sermons
And cold wars through the mails
While Mr. Big is selling out
His business never fails
And King Kennedy like Chaucer's
Chasing Canterbury Tales
And though my brain is still a virgin
The rest of me is well done
Don't you know we're all just travelers
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And just a, just a, just another one
When all is said and done
Yeah just another one
And the Smoke Witch says, "Wahoo!"
And the Wise Man says, "Me too!"
And the Guru says, "Wazoo!"
So do what you do!
Do what you do!
Do what you do!
Do what you do!
...
And the Wise Man says, "Me too!"
And the Guru says, "Wazoo!"
So do what you do!
The priests stand in their pulpits
The Pope sits on his throne
The parishes are empty
And the choirboys on their own
Until the second coming
Yes, they're leaving us alone
And God in His heaven
Has decided to keep mum
'Cause He's just another traveler
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He's just another one
Pity Mr. President
He can't do a thing
He says everywhere he went
We tried to make him sing
Our lonely White House resident
Says we should have made him King
Maybe then he could have saved us
From the truth we were hiding from
But he is just another traveler
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He was just another one
The General's in his game room
But his Soldier won't salute
Ever since he was promoted
He can't pop his chute
His shrink says he is paranoid
'Bout communistic roots
So unfurl the flag boys
Start beating his drum
Yes we've got to get another straggler
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He was just another one
He's another one
And the Smoke Witch says, "Wahoo!"
And the Wise Man says, "Me too!"
And the Guru says, "Wazoo!"
So do what you do!
Wow! The lead singers raucous
As he screams out the truth
Then the band hold a caucus
And decides to sell their youth
Our Manager he'll hawk us
As along as we're uncouth
And we'll call it revolution
But we'll crank out Bubble Gum
'Cause there's the margin doom for travelers
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And all is said and done
He's just another one
Grampa swung into the orgy
It was his last hope
He was dressed to the nines
In deodorant and scope
And they found him a woman
She brought vaseline and soap
Well it started out exciting
But it ended up ho hum
She said, "I thought that you could take me
All the way to Kingdom Come"
When all is said and done
He's just another one grampa
So Billy sells hot sermons
And cold wars through the mails
While Mr. Big is selling out
His business never fails
And King Kennedy like Chaucer's
Chasing Canterbury Tales
And though my brain is still a virgin
The rest of me is well done
Don't you know we're all just travelers
On the Road to Kingdom Come
And just a, just a, just another one
When all is said and done
Yeah just another one
And the Smoke Witch says, "Wahoo!"
And the Wise Man says, "Me too!"
And the Guru says, "Wazoo!"
So do what you do!
Do what you do!
Do what you do!
Do what you do!
...
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Somewhere Only We Know
Keane
Keane
X French T-Shirt
Shudder to Think
Shudder to Think
This song is timeless, and nearly 20 years after its creation, still possesses the mystique it did the first time i heard it ~1994. To me, at first blush, all those years ago, it had some kind of homo-erotic allure. The line "so that the others may do" tells of something which must be done for others to follow suit. It felt like like some kind of roxy-glam-pop invitation to sexual liberation.
Upon further introspection I think the song may not have an intrinsic meaning, but simply represents a sort of "holding open the door" for people who otherwise might be affronted by this song/band's unusual style. I know, as a sort of armchair rock-historian, that there have been few bands so daring and so true to the sound that wanted to emerge from within, whether the creator wanted it or not. This band handled it with elegance and grace seldom, if ever, seen.
Blank Space
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
This song is Swift's response to the negative reputation the media has given her.
"I can make the bad guys good for a weekend" - the bad guys are the paparazzi to Swift, but are good to the "player" since association with Swift immediately gives publicity. Any publicity is good publicity and Swift knows this.
"You can tell me when it's over" - the tabloids rumor relationships are over before the couple announces it officially.
With this song Swift is portraying the way she is portrayed by the media.
It is a sarcastic jab at how she views herself and how her "ex-lovers" only wanted to be with her to increase their fame.
I applaud the brilliance in writing about how you always write about relationships.
It is expected so Swift is giving the media what they want and profiting off the attention.
Alma Matters
Morrissey
Morrissey
The man has pseudo-friends who constantly criticize his actions. They moralize him, "teach" him and advise him to make a significant change in his life, because the way he is and what he does is not what they say it should be. They may find his life lame or immoral. They hold themselves up as role models. The man replies that he will make his own choices and decisions and he does not agree to unconditionally make himself under the influence of questionable quality advice. He justifies this by saying that there is always someone for whom he will be important, no matter what he does and no matter what he is. Although it is not said directly, I read it as meaning that he will always be important to himself in every way and he will always have his own support.
"Everyone is different and maybe that's a good thing, but you exceeded that mark 1000 times" - I remember very well how sad the words I once heard (from my peers and it was in negative context) at school made me feel.
Muffin
KIITA
KIITA
This standout track comes off the artist's latest studio album titled "empathetic". The track was produced by Danny Score and released via notable digital streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify on January 1, 2021.