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 a difference a day makes,
There a change in the weather,
One minute it was stormy,
Now the sun shines forever...
I dream of a New world,
A change is going to come again,
Yesterday I hadn’t met you,
Now it will never be the same...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah,
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
It used to be so lonely,
And I never felt right,
Now you put a spell on me,
And I feel good inside...
Im without an alibi,
Arrested by your smile,
I don’t want to say goodbye,
I just want you to stay awhile...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah,
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
I'm trying to be something that you wanna hold,
Where you’re in need,
Im trying to be someone who is always there,
Always there for you...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah...
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah,
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
There a change in the weather,
One minute it was stormy,
Now the sun shines forever...
I dream of a New world,
A change is going to come again,
Yesterday I hadn’t met you,
Now it will never be the same...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah,
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
It used to be so lonely,
And I never felt right,
Now you put a spell on me,
And I feel good inside...
Im without an alibi,
Arrested by your smile,
I don’t want to say goodbye,
I just want you to stay awhile...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah,
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
I'm trying to be something that you wanna hold,
Where you’re in need,
Im trying to be someone who is always there,
Always there for you...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah...
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
Keep on banging the drum,
Keep on singing the song,
Thats what were gonna do yeah,
And the rhythm goes on,
Keeps on moving along,
To the sound of you...
Lyrics submitted by JohnL1990
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