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."
Yo, met this piece by the name of Sharise
She had a fly one hundred ninety restin' in Jones Beach
You know when we kickin' my everyday cliche
Yo boo, can I poly with you, what make my day
She threw her chin up in the air, said yeah
Your style is played out, black, like last year
What do you mean huh? You know what I mean Dunn
Callin' me Dunn had me open like I was the one
What did I have on God Guard or Clairborne
You know you had that rugged type of shit on Raekwon
Maybe I talk a bit, kick a few words and shit
But you drove off in some Nissan phat shit
Givin' me bad looks, lookin' like mad crooks
If I was a purse downtown I would have been took
Yeah from robsters, but you look like mobsters
Smokin' that weed had me nauseous like rastas
When we're together you blow my mind, uh huh
You have that way about ya that keeps me satisfied (Whatcha want)
All I want to do is give you all I got
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
I want to be there for you boy in every way
I just gotta tell you how you take my breath away
Oh I want to let you know
When you walked into my life (Walked into my life)
I had this feeling you brought my world alive
And I'm going crazy, my head is in a daze (Head is in a daze)
You amaze me, boy why don't you stay (Boy why don't you stay)
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
She's a fly fabulous bird from outta nowhere
We bungalo dolo in logear, free parole the whole year
Now acknowledge me God mentality, fly formality
Cut out on me, I'm kidnappin' half of your salary
We movin' like this, for real now shut down your will power
Flower whatever you doin' don't disrespect ours
Slidin' my work to the next man
Still I'm givin' you props now gets your karats on the nightstand
When you walked into my life (Walked into my life)
I had this feeling you brought my world alive
And I'm going crazy, my head is in a daze (Head is in a daze)
You amaze me, boy why don't you stay (Boy why don't you stay)
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
She had a fly one hundred ninety restin' in Jones Beach
You know when we kickin' my everyday cliche
Yo boo, can I poly with you, what make my day
She threw her chin up in the air, said yeah
Your style is played out, black, like last year
What do you mean huh? You know what I mean Dunn
Callin' me Dunn had me open like I was the one
What did I have on God Guard or Clairborne
You know you had that rugged type of shit on Raekwon
Maybe I talk a bit, kick a few words and shit
But you drove off in some Nissan phat shit
Givin' me bad looks, lookin' like mad crooks
If I was a purse downtown I would have been took
Yeah from robsters, but you look like mobsters
Smokin' that weed had me nauseous like rastas
When we're together you blow my mind, uh huh
You have that way about ya that keeps me satisfied (Whatcha want)
All I want to do is give you all I got
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
I want to be there for you boy in every way
I just gotta tell you how you take my breath away
Oh I want to let you know
When you walked into my life (Walked into my life)
I had this feeling you brought my world alive
And I'm going crazy, my head is in a daze (Head is in a daze)
You amaze me, boy why don't you stay (Boy why don't you stay)
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
She's a fly fabulous bird from outta nowhere
We bungalo dolo in logear, free parole the whole year
Now acknowledge me God mentality, fly formality
Cut out on me, I'm kidnappin' half of your salary
We movin' like this, for real now shut down your will power
Flower whatever you doin' don't disrespect ours
Slidin' my work to the next man
Still I'm givin' you props now gets your karats on the nightstand
When you walked into my life (Walked into my life)
I had this feeling you brought my world alive
And I'm going crazy, my head is in a daze (Head is in a daze)
You amaze me, boy why don't you stay (Boy why don't you stay)
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
If I give you all I got would you be there for me baby (All I got)
And if I keep you close to me would you give me everything I need
The way I want it to be (That's the way it should be)
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