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."
Intro:
[Charli]
Hello?
[Guy]
Yo, what deal baby sis'? (what's up?)
Tell my man I'll be over there in like 15 minutes or whatever
So I can drop him off at the airport
Ya know what I mean?
[Charli]
Oh, you gon' take him to the airport?
[Guy]
Yeah, I'ma, I'ma drive him out there, whatever
(Yeah, stop frontin')
[Charli]
Why don't you just come over here after that
(Yeah, you know you want it)
Cause you know I don't like being in the house by myself
[Guy]
Yeah, I don't, I don't really know about that
(Uh huh, stop frontin')
[Charli]
Stop playin nigga
Just come over here, I don't wanna be here by myself
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, huh huh)
[Guy]
Aight
Verse One
C.B. can get to your head, if you let me
Or give ya hed, if you let me
When you met me, never bet we'd be
Bumpin' and grindin'
Wore short skirts and drop shit when you was behind me
Design ways to fuck with no craze
Cause I know you've known my man's since 3rd grade, I stayed
Pure through his whores and tore's, overseas
You and me, too long
Look opposite you ball
Lil' sis', so you say
Wanna fuck me Tony?, Scarface-way with Gina, I mean the...
Signs be there, time we share, be sweet
Fuck that reckless till we shred the sheets
To confetti, ready, picture teddy and gaurders
Play Marta, I'm smarter
Rub tit's, part lips, and watch you, I got you
Will powers down, got the ship mapped out
Cause that nigga's leaving town
Chorus
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Verse Two
Soakin' in the bubbles, by Body Shine
Dreamin' bout you, wanna wake up
Suckin' on my "A" cups, make up
Reasons to see you
I can tell you want it, all you gotta do is
Push up on that
Ask ya nigga, you loyal?, drunk off Crown Royale
Tellin' me how he be gettin' down out of town
What he don't know, won't hurt him
One squirt through my tight skirt, then we can fuck all the flirtin'
All I gotta figure is, how to pull this nigga
Fool my nigga, but he dumb anyway
And his chime, anyday now, have me in the hay now
Dirty ass way down, I'm still gon' lay down
He on his way now, to keep me company
Little did he know, when he show
He'll be bumpin' me, humpin' me
Wantin' me to open my mouth
Let him spit in it, take the wetness, suck his dick wit' it
Chorus
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Verse Three
Knock-knock, who is it?
I'm coming, make me cum in
Five minutes or less, two seconds, I'm undressed
Open the door, threw him to the floor
Wanna whore like Del Rio, tell me no, take that, know my steelo
Dick's hard, feel tights like a vice grip
Or nice lips, both sex, I'm a veteran
You better win, I'm on top, don't stop
Do it faster, fuck you bastard, got it mastered
Yeah yeah, so glad you gave in
I'm about to cave in, be your sex slave and
I'm dumb and I'm about to...
[Guy]
Yo, yo, yo, C.B. what's up? boo
[Charli]
Oh shit, what are you doing here?
I though you left, I.. I was just sleep
[Guy]
What you mean yo?
Yo what's going on, why you sweatin' like that too?
[Charli]
I.. I was dreamin'
I was dreamin'
[Guy]
Oh shit, you was dreamin' about me?
[Charli]
Uh heh, not really
[Guy]
What you mean not really!
[Charli]
I'm mean, yeah, yo baby, of course, yeah
(come on babe)
Chorus
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
[Charli]
Hello?
[Guy]
Yo, what deal baby sis'? (what's up?)
Tell my man I'll be over there in like 15 minutes or whatever
So I can drop him off at the airport
Ya know what I mean?
[Charli]
Oh, you gon' take him to the airport?
[Guy]
Yeah, I'ma, I'ma drive him out there, whatever
(Yeah, stop frontin')
[Charli]
Why don't you just come over here after that
(Yeah, you know you want it)
Cause you know I don't like being in the house by myself
[Guy]
Yeah, I don't, I don't really know about that
(Uh huh, stop frontin')
[Charli]
Stop playin nigga
Just come over here, I don't wanna be here by myself
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, huh huh)
[Guy]
Aight
Verse One
C.B. can get to your head, if you let me
Or give ya hed, if you let me
When you met me, never bet we'd be
Bumpin' and grindin'
Wore short skirts and drop shit when you was behind me
Design ways to fuck with no craze
Cause I know you've known my man's since 3rd grade, I stayed
Pure through his whores and tore's, overseas
You and me, too long
Look opposite you ball
Lil' sis', so you say
Wanna fuck me Tony?, Scarface-way with Gina, I mean the...
Signs be there, time we share, be sweet
Fuck that reckless till we shred the sheets
To confetti, ready, picture teddy and gaurders
Play Marta, I'm smarter
Rub tit's, part lips, and watch you, I got you
Will powers down, got the ship mapped out
Cause that nigga's leaving town
Chorus
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Verse Two
Soakin' in the bubbles, by Body Shine
Dreamin' bout you, wanna wake up
Suckin' on my "A" cups, make up
Reasons to see you
I can tell you want it, all you gotta do is
Push up on that
Ask ya nigga, you loyal?, drunk off Crown Royale
Tellin' me how he be gettin' down out of town
What he don't know, won't hurt him
One squirt through my tight skirt, then we can fuck all the flirtin'
All I gotta figure is, how to pull this nigga
Fool my nigga, but he dumb anyway
And his chime, anyday now, have me in the hay now
Dirty ass way down, I'm still gon' lay down
He on his way now, to keep me company
Little did he know, when he show
He'll be bumpin' me, humpin' me
Wantin' me to open my mouth
Let him spit in it, take the wetness, suck his dick wit' it
Chorus
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Verse Three
Knock-knock, who is it?
I'm coming, make me cum in
Five minutes or less, two seconds, I'm undressed
Open the door, threw him to the floor
Wanna whore like Del Rio, tell me no, take that, know my steelo
Dick's hard, feel tights like a vice grip
Or nice lips, both sex, I'm a veteran
You better win, I'm on top, don't stop
Do it faster, fuck you bastard, got it mastered
Yeah yeah, so glad you gave in
I'm about to cave in, be your sex slave and
I'm dumb and I'm about to...
[Guy]
Yo, yo, yo, C.B. what's up? boo
[Charli]
Oh shit, what are you doing here?
I though you left, I.. I was just sleep
[Guy]
What you mean yo?
Yo what's going on, why you sweatin' like that too?
[Charli]
I.. I was dreamin'
I was dreamin'
[Guy]
Oh shit, you was dreamin' about me?
[Charli]
Uh heh, not really
[Guy]
What you mean not really!
[Charli]
I'm mean, yeah, yo baby, of course, yeah
(come on babe)
Chorus
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
(You don't really wanna know)
Who's makin' love to your old lady
While you're out makin' love
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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