"Somewhere Only We Know" | ||||
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Single by Keane | ||||
from the album Hopes and Fears | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 16 February 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Alternative rock [1] | |||
Length | 3:57 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Keane singles chronology | ||||
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Official UK video | ||||
"Somewhere Only We Know" on YouTube |
"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. [2]
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. [3]
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 Les Essarts, 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. [4]
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... [5]
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. [6] "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[ citation needed ] 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".
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.[ citation needed ]
There are three music videos for this song:
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). [7] [8] 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.
The video is the same without the "simple thing" aliens.
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 singleCatalogue number: CID849
The CD included two different wallpapers for the PC and the official UK release music video.
UK 7-inch vinylCatalogue number: IS849
UK 3-inch pocket CD Released 19 July 2004. It included links for download polyphonic and real ringtones.
German enhanced CD single Released 26 March 2004.
Spanish enhanced CD single Released 16 April 2004.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA) [41] | Gold | 25,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [42] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [43] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [44] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [45] | 2× Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [46] | 3× Platinum | 30,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [47] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [48] | 3× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [49] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
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United Kingdom | 16 February 2004 |
| Island | [50] [51] |
Australia | 17 May 2004 | CD |
| [52] |
United States | 28 June 2004 | Interscope | [53] | |
6 December 2004 | Contemporary hit radio | [54] |
"Somewhere Only We Know" | ||||
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Single by Lily Allen | ||||
from the album Sheezus | ||||
Released | 10 November 2013 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:28 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Paul Beard | |||
Lily Allen singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Lily Allen | Somewhere Only We Know (John Lewis Christmas Advert)" on YouTube |
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. [55] "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. [56] [57]
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. [58]
The video for the song is a composite made by editor Chris Morris of the John Lewis "The Bear and the Hare" Christmas advert, directed by Elliot Dear and Yves Geleyn, and its making-of video, directed by Jake & Josh (Jacob Hopewell & Josh Hine), allowing the song to run to its full length. [59] [60]
On 24 November 2013, "Somewhere Only We Know" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, thus becoming Allen's third number-one single following "Smile" (2006) and "The Fear" (2009). [55] Although the song spent a total of three non-consecutive weeks at the top spot, it did not reach number one on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. It sold 46,279 copies during its second week at number one, the lowest number for a number-one single since Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" sold 42,746 copies in its third week at number one in 2009. [61]
In total the single sold over 600,000 copies. [62] According to the BPI, the single was awarded a gold disc in January 2014, representing 400,000 sales. The song was included on the album Now 86! which sold more than 1.1 million copies to become the UK's best-selling album of 2013. [63]
Credits adapted from CD single liner notes. [64]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [77] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United Kingdom | 10 November 2013 | [78] |
"Somewhere Only We Know" appeared on Season 1 Episode 2 of ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy in 2005, and has since been associated with the show. The Keane recording was also included in the soundtrack of the 2009 film He's Just Not That Into You , and in the trailers of the Alejandro Agresti's 2006 film The Lake House [79] as well as the 2011 Disney animated film Winnie the Pooh . The song also appears in the Netflix television series Beef .
Darren Criss performed a cover of the song as character Blaine Anderson in Season 2 Episode 18 of the TV series Glee. As of September 2024, the cover is the second most popular streamed song by the Glee cast on Spotify, with over 93 million monthly listeners. [80]
Keane are an English alternative rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. The band comprises Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley, Richard Hughes and Jesse Quin. Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001.
Under the Iron Sea is the second studio album by the English rock band Keane, released on 12 June 2006. During its first week on sale in the UK, the album opened at number one, selling 222,297 copies according to figures from the Official Chart Company. In the United States, the album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week there. Since its release, the album has sold over three million copies worldwide.
"Bedshaped" is a song by English rock band Keane, released as the third single from Hopes and Fears. It became their third consecutive top-10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, after "Somewhere Only We Know" and "Everybody's Changing", peaking at number 10. The song also reached the top 20 in Denmark and the Netherlands.
"This Is the Last Time" is a song performed and composed by British rock band Keane, released on 22 November 2004 as the fourth commercial single from their debut album, Hopes and Fears (2004). It was first released with Fierce Panda Records on 13 October 2003 and later in 2004 as a different version with Island Records. It was released as track two of the international version, but track nine on the British version. The single reached number 18 on the UK chart in November 2004.
"Nothing in My Way" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane for their second studio album Under the Iron Sea (2006). The song was also released 30 October 2006 as the third commercial and fourth overall single from that album in the United Kingdom. After the French pop rock band Bubblies, the single's release is notable as being the first ever commercial music release in USB format, a special edition limited to 1,500 copies.
"Everybody's Changing" is a song performed by English alternative rock band Keane. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Hopes and Fears (2004). After a single release on Fierce Panda in May 2003, which peaked at number 122 in the UK Singles Chart, it was re-released on Island on 3 May 2004 after the success of "Somewhere Only We Know" and reached number four. It is also used in the TV series, In Plain Sight and can also be heard in the final moments of One Tree Hill episode "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" and Scrubs episode "My Day at the Races".
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"Smile" is the debut single by British recording singer-songwriter Lily Allen from her debut studio album Alright, Still (2006). It was written by Allen, Iyiola Babalola and Darren Lewis, while sampling the Soul Brothers' "Free Soul". The song was released as the lead mainstream single of the album in July 2006. After signing a contract deal with Regal Recordings and gaining popularity on the social network website Myspace with demo songs, Allen released a limited edition of "LDN" to promote her work and afterwards announced the release of "Smile".
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