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."
Kamiwo tatemiyou
Tsuyawo dashitemiyou
irowo nuitemiyou
Kaomo kaetemiyoujanai
Sugu lucky star
Sate!?
KAJA KAJA GOO!!!!!
Yubiwo tatetemiyou
Tsuyawo dashitemiyou
Shitamo dashitemiyou
Egao nakushitemiyoujanai
Sugu Charisma
Sate?
KAJA KAJA GOO!!!!
Yamino shodan shodan shodan
Yamino shodan shodan shodan
Zenbu jodan jodan jodan jodan
Zenbu sate!?
KAJA KAJA GOO!
KAJA KAJA GOO!
Tsuyawo dashitemiyou
irowo nuitemiyou
Kaomo kaetemiyoujanai
Sugu lucky star
Sate!?
KAJA KAJA GOO!!!!!
Yubiwo tatetemiyou
Tsuyawo dashitemiyou
Shitamo dashitemiyou
Egao nakushitemiyoujanai
Sugu Charisma
Sate?
KAJA KAJA GOO!!!!
Yamino shodan shodan shodan
Yamino shodan shodan shodan
Zenbu jodan jodan jodan jodan
Zenbu sate!?
KAJA KAJA GOO!
KAJA KAJA GOO!
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Somewhere Only We Know
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