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."
What's a girl supposed to do
With a fool like you
Don't go trying the key in the door
'Cos it won't turn for you
Get up on the ceiling
You don't know what I'm feeling
Act your age and not your shoe size
Get your wheels in motion
And dump that crazy notion
Get your toys, get out of my way
Baby it's a lie now
And you will find out
I'm the shy one
Whoa, yeah (what you gonna do)
What's the situation
It's just temptation
You're with the shy one
Ha! Ha!
Let me reveal one secret to you
This lion's in her cage
Treat her well and treat her good
Or she'll devour you
Get up on the ceiling
You don't know what I'm feeling
Act your age and not your shoe size
Get your wheels in motion
And dump that crazy notion
Get your toys, get out of my way
Baby it's a lie now
And you will find out
I'm the shy one
(whats going on)
What's the situation
It's just temptation
You're with the shy one
(come on)
Tell me, oh, oh, what you want me maybe to say, oh, oh
I can't make sense of what's strolling by
It's oh so clear oh, oh! (yeah)
Baby it's a lie now
And you will find out
I'm the shy one
Whoa, yeah (what you gonna do)
What's the situation (yeah)
It's just temptation
You're with the shy one
(maybe I ain't so shy!)
Your with the shy one
Your with the shy one
Shy
With a fool like you
Don't go trying the key in the door
'Cos it won't turn for you
Get up on the ceiling
You don't know what I'm feeling
Act your age and not your shoe size
Get your wheels in motion
And dump that crazy notion
Get your toys, get out of my way
Baby it's a lie now
And you will find out
I'm the shy one
Whoa, yeah (what you gonna do)
What's the situation
It's just temptation
You're with the shy one
Ha! Ha!
Let me reveal one secret to you
This lion's in her cage
Treat her well and treat her good
Or she'll devour you
Get up on the ceiling
You don't know what I'm feeling
Act your age and not your shoe size
Get your wheels in motion
And dump that crazy notion
Get your toys, get out of my way
Baby it's a lie now
And you will find out
I'm the shy one
(whats going on)
What's the situation
It's just temptation
You're with the shy one
(come on)
Tell me, oh, oh, what you want me maybe to say, oh, oh
I can't make sense of what's strolling by
It's oh so clear oh, oh! (yeah)
Baby it's a lie now
And you will find out
I'm the shy one
Whoa, yeah (what you gonna do)
What's the situation (yeah)
It's just temptation
You're with the shy one
(maybe I ain't so shy!)
Your with the shy one
Your with the shy one
Shy
Lyrics submitted by Ice
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