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."
Hey man, I have a new idea for a song.
Oh what's it called?
It's called sadboi
And I wrote it while being super upset about my grandfather's passing.
And uhh it's about being sad it has screaming guitar solo
Lots of heavy riffs and an amazing set of Orchestra and strings coming through
Bro let's do it
Heck yeah man let's do it
Oh what's it called?
It's called sadboi
And I wrote it while being super upset about my grandfather's passing.
And uhh it's about being sad it has screaming guitar solo
Lots of heavy riffs and an amazing set of Orchestra and strings coming through
Bro let's do it
Heck yeah man let's do it
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