Keane achieved mainstream, international success with the release of their debut album Hopes and Fears in 2004. Topping the UK charts, the album won the 2005 Brit Award for Best British Album and was the second best-selling British album of 2004. It is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. Their second album, Under the Iron Sea, released in 2006, topped the UK album charts and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200. Their third album Perfect Symmetry was released in October 2008.
In May 2008, both Hopes and Fears (number 13) and Under the Iron Sea (number 8) were voted by readers of Q magazine as among the best British albums ever, with Keane, The Beatles, Oasis and Radiohead the only artists having two albums in the top 20. In 2009, Hopes and Fears was listed as the ninth best-selling album of the 2000s decade in the UK. Their EP Night Train was released in May 2010. Their fourth studio album Strangeland was released in May 2012 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Keane are known for using keyboards as the lead instrument instead of guitar, differentiating them from most other rock bands. The inclusion of a distorted piano effect in 2006 and various synthesisers were a common feature in their music which developed on the second and third albums. Keane have sold over 13 million records worldwide.
After the release of their compilation album The Best of Keane in 2013, the band took a hiatus, lasting nearly 5 years.
The band returned after the hiatus with new music, announcing their fifth studio album titled Cause and Effect on 6 June 2019 and releasing the lead single from the album "The Way I Feel". A collection of the songs were written by Tim Rice-Oxley during his divorce, and after discussions with Tom who had visited Tim the previous year, decided to proceed with recording the songs for the album. Cause and Effect was released on 20 September 2019. After the release of the album, the band embarked on the Cause and Effect Tour, visiting Europe and Latin America, before the remainder of the tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keane_(band)
Studio albums
Hopes and Fears (2004)
Under the Iron Sea (2006)
Perfect Symmetry (2008)
Strangeland (2012)
Cause and Effect (2019)
Somewhere Only We Know
Keane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river, and it made me complete
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin
I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin
And if you have a minute, why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?
Somewhere only we know
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin
And if you have a minute, why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go?
So why don't we go?
Ah
Oh
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?
Somewhere only we know
Somewhere only we know
Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" is a captivating ballad that is centered around the idea of finding solace and shelter away from the stresses of everyday life. The song begins with Tom Chaplin's soft vocals as he walks through an empty land, which he is familiar with, demonstrating his experience with it. The lyrics allude to the sense of loneliness the singer is experiencing, and how he needs a simple place to escape to find solace. The repetition of the phrase, "Oh simple thing, where have you gone?" reinforces this need for comfort and familiarity.
As the song progresses, Keane's use of natural imagery, such as the fallen tree and the river, draws a contrast to the impersonal and disconnected world, creating a calming and comfortable tone. The chorus is one of the most notable parts of the song, and the use of the phrase "Somewhere only we know" encourages the listener to think of their personal escape, articulating the idea that everyone has "a place to go" when seeking sanctuary.
The song's meaning can be interpreted broadly, but ultimately, it's a song about the importance of having a haven when dealing with heavy emotions, particularly loneliness and uncertainty. The song is a reminder to hold on to simple things as they are what count in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked across an empty land
I walked through a place without any other people, it was devoid of anything and everything.
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I was very familiar with the route I was taking, like knowing the back of my hand.
I felt the earth beneath my feet
I could feel the soil and ground beneath me clearly as I walked.
Sat by the river, and it made me complete
I sat down by the river and it gave me a feeling of wholeness or contentment.
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I am missing something that was once simple, easy to understand or obtain.
I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on
As I age, I need something that I can depend on, something that remains constant and reliable.
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
When will I be able to participate or gain access to what I need?
I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin
I'm feeling exhausted and need a place or starting point to refresh myself.
I came across a fallen tree
I stumbled upon a tree that had collapsed, it was no longer upright like before.
I felt the branches of it looking at me
The tree's branches appeared to be observing me.
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this location the same place that we previously held dear or had emotional ties to?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?
Is this location the one that has featured in my dreams?
And if you have a minute, why don't we go
If you're available or have a moment, let's leave this place and go somewhere else.
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
Can we discuss it privately in a place that nobody else knows or is aware of?
This could be the end of everything
This moment might mark the conclusion of everything, this might be the last time.
So why don't we go somewhere only we know?
Why don't we leave and go to a place that is exclusive to us?
Somewhere only we know
A location that is only known to us, it is special and unique.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard David Hughes, Timothy James Rice-Oxley, Tom Chaplin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandi
on I Need Your Love
Leanest