Keane’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ piano cover in the Lay’s commercial is the viral song of the season: let’s discover its story.
No one would ever turn down a great commercial that revisits our origins, celebrates national production pride, and moves us with a story of generations passing the torch. When the commercial in question features one of America’s most beloved products today—Lay’s chips—and uses a song loved by the world, it’s clear we’re looking at an event that will be talked about for months.
The Lay’s commercial aired during Super Bowl 2026 is a perfect example of an ad that touches everyone’s heart. It successfully reveals the product’s roots, deeply embedded in U.S. agricultural production, and hits a soft spot for today’s younger generations: the noble labor our parents performed to build something great, and the responsibility of taking over that legacy, finally letting them rest after a lifetime of sacrifice.
And as always, Lay’s has delivered a small masterpiece of commercial music: a brand-new piano cover of the song ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane. While we all know and love the original, the internet has been flooded with questions about who made this touching new version.
It’s time to break out the Auralcrave investigative toolkit and unveil the truth behind the mystery. Join us.
The Nostalgia of “Simple Things”: The Meaning of “Somewhere Only We Know” in the Lay’s Commercial
Let’s start with the original song: “Somewhere Only We Know” was the lead single from Keane’s debut album, Hopes and Fears, released in 2004. It remains one of the most beloved tracks in the British band’s repertoire today, largely due to its easily relatable theme: a song about the passage of time and the loss of the things that once made us feel whole.
In the Lay’s commercial, we hear the most poignant passages of the lyrics, and several verses reveal themselves to be a perfect match for the images on screen:
I walked across an empty land
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
Keane’s lyrics visualize a walk through a desolate land as a symbol of life’s journey over the years: the further we go, the rarer the things that truly make us happy become. In “Somewhere Only We Know,” the band uses contact with nature as a symbol of well-being.
The song invokes the “simple things” that align so perfectly with the message of the Lay’s ad. Just as a simple potato chip can represent the memory of a happy moment, the “last harvest” with an aging father represents an entire era coming to an end for the protagonist—and likely a new one beginning: the era in which she will carry forward the pride for the land she inherited.
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
While the 2004 original was driven by a rhythmic, almost urgent piano-rock energy, this new version’s decision to strip everything back to a solitary, delicate piano arrangement creates a much more profound emotional impact. It turns an indie anthem into a fragile lullaby, emphasizing the father’s weariness and the intimate weight of the daughter’s new responsibility.
The beauty of this song and its lyrics unfolds in its entirety during the final scenes of the commercial, where the “sweet weight” of moments shared with her father is felt on the daughter’s shoulders. The “place we used to love” and this “somewhere only we know” becomes the land itself that she has always shared with him. It is the symbol of a family business being passed down, as well as the pride of a simple American life based on solid family values that do not fade over time.
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?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
This is the moving power of the 2026 Lay’s commercial: reminding us of the things that matter and that we love, fueled by the power of a song that—with ruthless beauty—makes us ache for the memories that have always made us feel alive.
Who created the song for the 2026 Lay’s commercial?
After the emotional journey of the “Last Harvest” visuals, only one question remains: who is behind this specific version of the Keane classic? To find the answer, we must look beyond traditional streaming platforms and delve into the specialized world of high-level advertising music.
As reported by the most detailed industry sources, the music production house that created this masterpiece is Walker Music (officially known as We Are Walker). In fact, you can find the Lay’s commercial featured proudly on their current homepage at as one of their standout works of the year.
Walker Music is a true giant in the advertising world, recently named Ad Age’s “Music & Sound Company of the Year” for 2024. They don’t just license songs; they re-imagine them. For Lay’s, they created a track built from scratch to perfectly sync with the direction of Taika Waititi, the creative mind behind the commercial (and the same director behind the famous Xfinity “Jurassic Park Works” ad). This is why you won’t find this specific version as a single on Spotify or Apple Music; it is a proprietary work created exclusively for this campaign.
The Arrangement: The Adam Podd Lead
While the company name appears in the official credits, the “hand” that actually wrote the arrangement is, in all probability, that of Adam Podd. A Brooklyn-based pianist, arranger, and director, Podd is a frequent collaborator with Walker Music.
Immediately following the commercial’s Super Bowl premiere, a dedicated thread appeared in the Keane Reddit community, where a fan reported an Instagram story published by Adam Podd containing a direct reference to the ad. Although the story is no longer visible, Adam Podd is a well-known composer dedicated to creating unique soundtracks and has frequently collaborated with Walker Music on major commercials.
You can discover more about Adam Podd’s productions directly on his official website at adampodd.com. And you never know—he might soon publish his version of “Somewhere Only We Know” directly on his YouTube channel.
The Mystery: Who is the Singer?
This is where the mystery remains, for now, unresolved. For the 2026 Lay’s “Last Harvest” commercial, no official vocalist has been named (at least not yet).
In the industry, these are often called “ghost tracks”—tracks performed by professional singers who provide the emotional heart of the song without receiving public billing. Until Walker Music reveals the name behind the beautiful voice that moved the 2026 Super Bowl audience, the singer’s anonymity will remain one of the most discussed topics in the world of advertising this year. And it only adds to the viral buzz surrounding the song.
