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."
People see and people do
Cut a tooth, and miss a tooth
Choose fish or choose chicken, oh!
Where's your manner? Here you go!
What is what and who is who?
You and I and e.t.c.
Signal turns red or green, oh!
Let'em scoot and let'em go!
All we make is a same action
Stereotype yeah, we do S.V.O.!
People see and people do
Cut a tooth, and miss a tooth
Choose fish or choose chicken, oh!
Where's your manner? here you go!
There is one thing, one object
See the smoke and follow the sign
All we make is a same action
Sterotype yeah, we do S.V.O.
Cut a tooth, and miss a tooth
Choose fish or choose chicken, oh!
Where's your manner? Here you go!
What is what and who is who?
You and I and e.t.c.
Signal turns red or green, oh!
Let'em scoot and let'em go!
All we make is a same action
Stereotype yeah, we do S.V.O.!
People see and people do
Cut a tooth, and miss a tooth
Choose fish or choose chicken, oh!
Where's your manner? here you go!
There is one thing, one object
See the smoke and follow the sign
All we make is a same action
Sterotype yeah, we do S.V.O.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
S.V.O. Lyrics as written by Hayashi
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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