Why Lily Allen sings ‘dojo’, and what it could mean about her divorce from David Harbour

Lily Allen’s new album West End has only just come out, and people are already speculating about how the lyrics could connect to her divorce from David Harbour. If you were confused by the word “dojo” in track seven, then we have answers. Here’s why Lily Allen is singing about a ‘dojo’, and what people are theorising it could mean about the divorce from David Harbour.

Er, what is a ‘dojo’?

Dojo is a Japanese word for a space where people meditate and learn. A “dojo” is often used for practicing physical skills, including martial arts. Outside Japan, people use the word for places where Japanese martial arts are practiced.

Presumably, in the 2023 cinematic masterpiece Barbie, Ken calls his dwelling his “Dojo Mojo Casa House” because he thinks that “dojo” sounds cool and masculine, and because he is an idiot.

No, this is not a dojo
(Credit: Warner Bros.)

What does ‘dojo’ mean in the Lily Allen song P*ssy Palace?

Okay, in track seven of Lily Allen’s new album West End, the speaker drops by at her partner’s flat in the West Village. The decor is a lot different to what she expected. The chorus goes: “I didn’t know it was your p*ssy palace, p*ssy palace, p*ssy palace, p*ssy palace. I always thought it was a dojo, dojo, dojo. So am I looking at a sex addict? Sex addict? Sex addict? Sex addict? Oh, talk about a low blow. Oh, no. Oh, no.”

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The point is that the narrator thought her partner used this place to practice martial arts, to improve his well-being and headspace. It turns out the flat is being used for physical activity… but a pretty different kind.

Here’s why people think this connects to Lily Allen’s split from David Harbour

Now, please keep in mind that Lily Allen’s album is art, not an autobiography. We have no idea how fictitious all the songs are, or which lyrics could relate to specific real people.

She told Vogue: “There are things that are on the record that I experienced within my marriage, but that’s not to say that it’s all gospel. It is inspired by what went on in the relationship.”

Her husband (and reportedly ex-husband) David Harbour is into martial arts. He told Yahoo in November 2022 that in order to prepare for the role of Santa Claus in Violent Nights, he trained in “jiu-jitsu and Greco-Roman wrestling”.

We do know that in 2022, Lily Allen lived in London so she could perform in a play, while David Harbour was still in New York. Lily Allen did also reveal on her podcast in March 2025 that she’d bought a flat in London.

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Feature image credit: Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com/Shutterstock