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."
à ãåï ùå÷å äåìê ìá÷ø
çáø ùìå, à ãåï ùå÷å à çø
äåà îöçöç ðòìéå, îñø÷ ùòøå,
åäåìê òà î÷ì åîâáòú
áå÷ø, øåç ÷ìä, åäðä
áéú éøå÷, ãìú à ãåîä,
âìéï âìéï âìéï, áôòîåï
"áå÷ø èåá à ãåï ùå÷å",
"áå÷ø èåá à ãåï ùå÷å"
"îä ðòùä?"
"à åìé ðìê ìá÷ø
çáø ùìðå, à ãåï
ùå÷å à çø"
ùðé à ãåðéà ùå÷åìãéà áøçåáåú öåòãéÃ,
äåìëéÃ, æä òà æä îãáøéÃ.
áå÷ø, øåç ÷ìä, åäðä
áéú éøå÷, ãìú à ãåîä,
âìéï âìéï âìéï, áôòîåï
"ìôðé öäøééà èåá",
"ìôðé öäøééà èåá"
"îä ðòùä?"
"à åìé ðìê ìá÷ø
çáø ùìðå, à ãåï
ùå÷å à çø"
ùìåùä à ãåðéà ùå÷åìãéà áøçåáåú öåòãéÃ,
öäøééà åùîù çÃ.
"à ðé òééó", à åîø à ãåï ùå÷å.
"à ðé øòá", à åîø à ãåï ùå÷å.
"à ðé öîà ", à åîø à ãåï ùå÷å.
ùìåùä à ãåðéà ùå÷åìãéà öåòãéà ìîñòãä
ùìåùä à ãåðéà éåùáéÃ, ñåòãéÃ
ñìè åîø÷ åôìôì îîåìà ,
åëáø ìà éìëå ìá÷ø
çáø ùìäÃ, à ãåï
ùå÷å à çø.
çáø ùìå, à ãåï ùå÷å à çø
äåà îöçöç ðòìéå, îñø÷ ùòøå,
åäåìê òà î÷ì åîâáòú
áå÷ø, øåç ÷ìä, åäðä
áéú éøå÷, ãìú à ãåîä,
âìéï âìéï âìéï, áôòîåï
"áå÷ø èåá à ãåï ùå÷å",
"áå÷ø èåá à ãåï ùå÷å"
"îä ðòùä?"
"à åìé ðìê ìá÷ø
çáø ùìðå, à ãåï
ùå÷å à çø"
ùðé à ãåðéà ùå÷åìãéà áøçåáåú öåòãéÃ,
äåìëéÃ, æä òà æä îãáøéÃ.
áå÷ø, øåç ÷ìä, åäðä
áéú éøå÷, ãìú à ãåîä,
âìéï âìéï âìéï, áôòîåï
"ìôðé öäøééà èåá",
"ìôðé öäøééà èåá"
"îä ðòùä?"
"à åìé ðìê ìá÷ø
çáø ùìðå, à ãåï
ùå÷å à çø"
ùìåùä à ãåðéà ùå÷åìãéà áøçåáåú öåòãéÃ,
öäøééà åùîù çÃ.
"à ðé òééó", à åîø à ãåï ùå÷å.
"à ðé øòá", à åîø à ãåï ùå÷å.
"à ðé öîà ", à åîø à ãåï ùå÷å.
ùìåùä à ãåðéà ùå÷åìãéà öåòãéà ìîñòãä
ùìåùä à ãåðéà éåùáéÃ, ñåòãéÃ
ñìè åîø÷ åôìôì îîåìà ,
åëáø ìà éìëå ìá÷ø
çáø ùìäÃ, à ãåï
ùå÷å à çø.
Lyrics submitted by Novartza
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