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."
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Yo, yo, uh
Why you got an attitude? (Uh huh, yo)
Why you acting all foolish (uh huh, yo)
When you see me out in the street boy? (Uh)
You wanna embarrass me, call me names
Slap my face until
Until you see my friends come, ooh
Then you wanna try to console me (uh huh, yo, yo)
But they already know, boy (they already know, boy)
Cause for the last week I've been in the house
And I've cried and cried
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
Now you bring me flowers (uh, what?)
You say you got it together (uh, yo)
Soon as I let my guard down (uh)
Oh, there you go again
In my grill, 'til I call the cops then
Then you wanna chill out and say (ooh, say what?)
I'm the one who's buggin' (uh, yeah)
But, no, no it's you, you see
(No, no, it's you, you see)
Every time I go out
You come grabbin' all over me
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
Why you trippin'?
Get your hands off me
Why you illin'?
I'm supposed to be your Nubian queen
Why you trippin'?
Get your hands off me
Why you illin'?
I'm supposed to be your Nubian queen
I'm supposed to be your Nubian queen, oh
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do (puttin' your hands on me)
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do (always tryna disrespect me)
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
Yeah, yeah
I can't go for that
Yo, yo, uh
Why you got an attitude? (Uh huh, yo)
Why you acting all foolish (uh huh, yo)
When you see me out in the street boy? (Uh)
You wanna embarrass me, call me names
Slap my face until
Until you see my friends come, ooh
Then you wanna try to console me (uh huh, yo, yo)
But they already know, boy (they already know, boy)
Cause for the last week I've been in the house
And I've cried and cried
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
Now you bring me flowers (uh, what?)
You say you got it together (uh, yo)
Soon as I let my guard down (uh)
Oh, there you go again
In my grill, 'til I call the cops then
Then you wanna chill out and say (ooh, say what?)
I'm the one who's buggin' (uh, yeah)
But, no, no it's you, you see
(No, no, it's you, you see)
Every time I go out
You come grabbin' all over me
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
Why you trippin'?
Get your hands off me
Why you illin'?
I'm supposed to be your Nubian queen
Why you trippin'?
Get your hands off me
Why you illin'?
I'm supposed to be your Nubian queen
I'm supposed to be your Nubian queen, oh
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do (puttin' your hands on me)
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do (always tryna disrespect me)
I can't go for that, no, no, no can do
I can't go for that, I can't go for that
I can't go for that
Yeah, yeah
I can't go for that
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