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."
your fighting yourself - against these same walls
your own opposition - and you're at it again
in the mirror your hands clenched - it's fists against flesh
in the shadows in the mirrors it's deja vu again it's you once again
the same walls your blood shatters - it's you against you
what do you have to prove? - there's nothing I can do
but watch yourself fight yourself - into a corner
got yourself against the ropes
fight against yourself and you will always win
shadowboxing
kill yourself fight yourself
tear down the blood walls with shadowed swings
and you've won once again
fight yourself kill your self and you've won again
exclusive adversary personal opposition
but you don't realize fight yourself you'll always win
your own opposition - and you're at it again
in the mirror your hands clenched - it's fists against flesh
in the shadows in the mirrors it's deja vu again it's you once again
the same walls your blood shatters - it's you against you
what do you have to prove? - there's nothing I can do
but watch yourself fight yourself - into a corner
got yourself against the ropes
fight against yourself and you will always win
shadowboxing
kill yourself fight yourself
tear down the blood walls with shadowed swings
and you've won once again
fight yourself kill your self and you've won again
exclusive adversary personal opposition
but you don't realize fight yourself you'll always win
Lyrics submitted by FlowersAndRazorwire
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