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."
their busy eyes let no one in
our deepest sighs masked by the din
nobody finds trust here, everyone glares
from distrust blossomed us - the unlikeliest pair
winter welcomes lovers
my racing mind on vibrating glass
this bus could never go as fast
bring me her soft eyes, bring me her hands
bring it on, bring me home - we have so much to plan
winter welcomes hopes for warmth
my hands are cold, i do my best
to warm before finding your flesh
thank you for waiting, now steal me away
lets explore what we're for - new adventures each day
winter welcomes hopes for warmth
you draw me out, i pour my soul in
we ponder how two souls akin
found one another across bridges of time
big ideas in a small quarters
snowbound, and so unconfined
our deepest sighs masked by the din
nobody finds trust here, everyone glares
from distrust blossomed us - the unlikeliest pair
winter welcomes lovers
my racing mind on vibrating glass
this bus could never go as fast
bring me her soft eyes, bring me her hands
bring it on, bring me home - we have so much to plan
winter welcomes hopes for warmth
my hands are cold, i do my best
to warm before finding your flesh
thank you for waiting, now steal me away
lets explore what we're for - new adventures each day
winter welcomes hopes for warmth
you draw me out, i pour my soul in
we ponder how two souls akin
found one another across bridges of time
big ideas in a small quarters
snowbound, and so unconfined
Lyrics submitted by Blaupunked
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Somewhere Only We Know
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