“Where Nobody Knows” by Kings of Leon

King of Leon’s “Where Nobody Knows” is highly-metaphorical in its approach. Thus interpreting it requires the interpreter to make some assumptions. For instance, the two prevailing themes seem to be romance and drugs. Thus the addressee is apparently the singer’s romantic interest.  And she is “pulling at a rock [that] don’t comprise”. Now all things considered, lyrical references to objects such as “a rock”, “powder” and “stones” honestly read as if they are allusions to substance.

The addressee is in fact namedropped near the end of the song as being one “Jessica”. This would likely be a reference to country musician Jessica Baylin, whom Kings of Leon member Nathan Followill went on to marry in 2009.  There doesn’t seem to be anything on record indicating this lady has ever done drugs. However, according to Nathan himself, there was once a point in time where the Kings of Leon very much engaged in substance usage. And by the time this song actually does conclude, it is pretty clear that the “powder to play” and “the stones” which are “clogging up your nose” are indeed references to nose candy.

But that being said, whether this song is subthemed on substance usage or the pressures of life in general, there’s one clear thing. And this is the singer’s desire to take the addressee from their current environment. Thus the titular location, “where nobody knows”, is an adjectival phrase for his intended destination with her by his side. So basically what the singer is idealizing is something like a spontaneous, unscripted road trip. A trip where he and his sweetheart are able to have fun to their hearts’ content.

Released Date of

RCA Records released “Where Nobody Knows” on 1 November 2004. It was released as a bonus track on the band’s second album, “Aha Shake Heartbreak”.

This song was written by Jacquire King along with Ethan Johns.

Ethan also contributed to the production of the track alongside Angelo Petraglia.