"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song composed and performed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as the first single from their debut album, Hopes and Fears (2004). The single peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart during its first week of sales, becoming the band's signature song and biggest hit single to date.

In 2013, the song was covered by Lily Allen for a John Lewis Christmas advert; Allen's version reached number-one in the UK Singles Chart.

The first demo was composed by Tim Rice-Oxley in about 2001. Rice-Oxley said that the song came from "hammering away on the piano" explaining

I was thinking of something like David Bowie's "Heroes", which you drive along to a really rocking beat ... It was one of the first things we recorded for the album.^[1]

It was first played on the guitar just before Dominic Scott left the band, and recorded as a demo the same year with a Yamaha CP-70 instead of the guitar. Keane recorded the final version in 2003 at the Helioscentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex for the album. Keane also played this song at the Live 8 concert in London, along with the single "Bedshaped".

A demo version of "Somewhere Only We Know" was leaked into the internet in 2004. This version features a different length (4:24) and an extra bridge. Chaplin's shouts near the coda of the final version do not feature in the demo.

"Somewhere Only We Know" is a traditional piano rock song. The piano is the most prominent instrument due to its harmonic and rhythmic role. It is played in quavers throughout the whole song, holding the tempo and the rhythmic pattern. The studio version is recorded in 87 bpm, and follows a ⁴
₄ time signature – the most commonly-used in traditional rock songs. It is in the key of A major. The song form can be analysed as ABAB CBCB, a variation of the strophic form. The verse (A) chord progression is a plain (I-II-V), one of the most used chord progressions in music; the chorus (B) presents a (VI-III-IV-V) progression; the variation of the verse section (C) presents a (II-III-IV-V) progression.

The bassline was recorded by Rice-Oxley. When played live (up until 2007 with the arrival of bassist Jesse Quin), this song uses a pre-recorded bass, which is played in an Apple PowerBook G4. The 16-beat rhythm was made by Hughes.

The song was mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent. Three-inch pocket CDs were released as a limited edition of 1000, containing the B-side "Snowed Under" as well as links to receive a polyphonic ringtone via SMS. These copies are now^[when?] valued at £20 due to their rarity.^{[citation needed]} This song was the first Keane item released on vinyl format. The records were numbered and limited to 5,000 copies, only sold in the United Kingdom. The B-side "Walnut Tree" was recorded during the James Sanger sessions at Normandy, France.

The song's lyrics refer to Manser's Shaw, a place in Battle that Keane members used to visit in their childhood days and the site of the Battle of Hastings, fought on 14 October 1066. According to Rice-Oxley, they wrote the song after returning to Battle from London after failing to achieve musical success. The "pathway" referenced in the song refers to the trail between the house of Rice-Oxley's parents and the local pub.^[2]

Richard Hughes, Keane's drummer, offered the following explanation of the song on Chris Flynn's fansite:

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...^[3]

Snowed Under

The song talks about a place called "Manser's Shaw" in Battle, East Sussex where the band used to spend their childhood days. It was inspired by a poem.^[4] "Snowed Under" was the only B-side played live during 2004, 2005, and early 2006, because of its appearance on the CD+DVD version of Hopes and Fears, as well as in the Japanese version of it. Like "Walnut Tree", this song was mixed by Andy Green. "Snowed Under" also titles the band's debut album, with the line "someone who understands your hopes and fears".

Walnut Tree

The lyrics talk about waiting for someone under a walnut tree, but Rice-Oxley has not given this meaning. It appeared on the Music from the OC: Mix 2 soundtrack. James Sanger is credited on this song for his contributions at his studios in France. This song was mixed by Andy Green.

There are three music videos for this song:

UK version

Keane appear coming out of a studio and taking a taxi. Then they come across a forest where the "simple thing" aliens live (called Roxleys by some fans).^[5][6] Each Roxley represents the spirit of a tree.

This international video was directed by Corin Hardy, produced by Kit Hawkins for White House Pictures, and shot between 22 and 23 November 2003. Hardy was influenced by the movie Princess Mononoke and created the "simple thing" aliens based on the "Kodama" appearing in that film.

The video saga starts with an image of a backstage door shortly before Keane walk through it with Tom holding a snare. They get into a British taxi cab. A little spirit (a "simple thing" alien) is inside the taxi. Then they arrive in a wooded area (in East Sussex, owned by Anthony Becvar, an acquaintance of Corin Hardy). The "simple thing" alien remains in the cab. They began walking through the forest, "an empty land", across a "fallen tree" and finally arrive at a stream. They are now playing the song in the stream. Near the end of the song, the little spirits, Roxleys, appear again and get closer to Keane. Finally, lights representing their hearts shine.

United States version 1

The video is the same without the "simple thing" aliens.

United States version 2 and other countries

This video was shot on 29 May 2004 in Hollywood, California, and directed by The Saline Project. The song kicks off and Keane are playing a gig on the stage with a photograph of a forest behind them. Soon, the photograph becomes real, and Keane are playing in the forest it represents. After the chorus, the forest becomes a city, and buildings start to grow. In the last chorus, it starts raining before converting into a forest again. The forest disappears, and then Keane are playing again on the stage.

The cover art, designed by Madefire and Alex Lake, represents maple leaves falling, as on the music video. It also relates to the themes of the B-sides, "Walnut Tree" and "Snowed Under". Although neither of these songs appear on the Hopes and Fears album, they are relatively well known due to live performances and soundtracks. The letters reading "KEANE" are also in the background, featuring the red leaves.^{[citation needed]}

Enhanced CD single Catalogue number: CID849
The CD included two different wallpapers for the PC and the official UK release music video.

1. "Somewhere Only We Know" – 3:58
2. "Snowed Under" – 3:51
3. "Walnut Tree" – 3:40
4. "Somewhere Only We Know" (CD-ROM video) – 3:56

UK 7-inch vinyl Catalogue number: IS849

1. "Somewhere Only We Know"
2. "Snowed Under"

UK 3-inch pocket CD Released 19 July 2004. It included links for download polyphonic and real ringtones.

1. "Somewhere Only We Know"
2. "Snowed Under"

In 2013, English singer Lily Allen released a cover version of the song. It was released on 10 November 2013 in the United Kingdom as a digital download through Parlophone and Regal Recordings. The song was selected as the soundtrack to the John Lewis 2013 Christmas advertisement. The song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, becoming her third number-one single.^[50] "Somewhere Only We Know" is included on Allen's third studio album, Sheezus.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the single were donated to Save the Children's Philippine Typhoon Appeal campaign.^[51][52]

Allen's version of the song was used for the trailer of The Little Prince (2015), which was shown in French.

Allen's version of the song was also used on an advertisement by Brazilian telecommunications company Vivo in 2015.

The Labour Party used this version in a campaign video for the 2017 general election.^[53]