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."
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
àðé øåàä àú äëì
äééú òåèó àåúé
ááéú åçåí
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
øåàä àú äëì
äééú ñåâø àåúé
àí äééú éëåì
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
ùëìåí ìà çùåá
ø÷ àúä, àðé,
åàúä, ùåá åùåá
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
ùéåúø îäëì
äééú ñåâø àåúé
àí äééú éëåì
äééú áåðä ìé ÷éøåú
äééú îú÷éï îðåøåú
ùéäéä ìé àåø
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
æä ëúåá áâãåì
äééú îøùä ìé
îåçì òì äëì
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
øåàä àú äëì
äééú àåäá àåúé
ëîå ùàéù ìà éëåì
äééúé îùåèèú áéï ä÷éøåú
äééúé òåùä áí öåøåú
ùéäéå ìé ùîéí
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
àðé øåàä àú äëì
äééú òåèó àåúé
ááéú åçåí
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
àðé øåàä àú äëì
ø÷ àåúé ìà øåàä
áúåê äëçåì
äìëúé ìôðé ùòåú
åèåá ìé îçåõ ì÷éøåú
ìäúâòâò ìáéú...
àðé øåàä àú äëì
äééú òåèó àåúé
ááéú åçåí
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
øåàä àú äëì
äééú ñåâø àåúé
àí äééú éëåì
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
ùëìåí ìà çùåá
ø÷ àúä, àðé,
åàúä, ùåá åùåá
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
ùéåúø îäëì
äééú ñåâø àåúé
àí äééú éëåì
äééú áåðä ìé ÷éøåú
äééú îú÷éï îðåøåú
ùéäéä ìé àåø
øåàä ìê áòéðééí
æä ëúåá áâãåì
äééú îøùä ìé
îåçì òì äëì
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
øåàä àú äëì
äééú àåäá àåúé
ëîå ùàéù ìà éëåì
äééúé îùåèèú áéï ä÷éøåú
äééúé òåùä áí öåøåú
ùéäéå ìé ùîéí
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
àðé øåàä àú äëì
äééú òåèó àåúé
ááéú åçåí
àðé øåàä ìê áòéðééí
àðé øåàä àú äëì
ø÷ àåúé ìà øåàä
áúåê äëçåì
äìëúé ìôðé ùòåú
åèåá ìé îçåõ ì÷éøåú
ìäúâòâò ìáéú...
Lyrics submitted by Novartza
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