Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION

Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS

Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT

Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Playlist Covers

Playlist Directory

Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS

Music Video Directory

Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST

Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED

Dork Radio

Live

Live 24/7

Dork Radio

Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

June 2026

Latest issue variants

Dork, June 2026 (Bleachers cover)

Bleachers

Dork, June 2026 (Myles Smith cover)

Myles Smith

Dork, June 2026 (Towa Bird cover)

Towa Bird

|

Privacy Policy|

Cookie settings

© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advertise on this site.

Philomena Lyrics — The Decemberists | Dork

Lyrics
The Decemberists
Philomena Lyrics

Lyrics

The Decemberists

Philomena

From What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World2015

Written by Colin Meloy

Produced by The Decemberists, Tucker Martine

Lyrics

Philomena

O Philomena You in a tawdry gown Lean to your window Let slip a ribbon down A cure to your boredom If only you'd let me go down Down down Long summer days Can lead to lazy vices Boys all at idle Left to their own devices Open up your linen lap And let me go down Down down All that I wanted in the world Was just to live to see a naked girl But I found I quickly bored I wanted more I wanted more So I'll be your candle I'll be your statuette. I'll be your lashing Loop of leatherette O Philomena if only You'd let me go down. Down down All that I wanted in the world Was just to live to see a naked girl But I found I quickly bored I wanted more Oh so much more So I'll be your candle I'll be your statuette. I'll be your lashing Loop of leatherette O Philomena if only You'd let me go down. Down down Go down down down Go down Go down

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

About this track

"Philomena" is a song by The Decemberists from the album What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, released in 2015. The song was written by Colin Meloy. It was produced by The Decemberists, Tucker Martine.

The Decemberists profile →What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World album →Track profile →

Track 3 of 15Rough Trade

Contributors

Kelly Hogan— 54 credits as background vocals →
Rachel Flotard— 28 credits as background vocals →
The Decemberists— 134 credits as songwriter & producer →
Tucker Martine— 666 credits as songwriter & producer →
Colin Meloy— 200 credits as songwriter →

More from this album

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World

The Singer Addresses His Audience

The Singer Addresses His Audience

Cavalry Captain

Cavalry Captain

Make You Better

Make You Better

More Lyrics

by The Decemberists

The Mariner's Revenge Song

The Mariner's Revenge Song

The Decemberists

Sons and Daughters

Sons and Daughters

The Decemberists

The Crane Wife 1 & 2

The Crane Wife 1 & 2

From Dork

The Decemberists on Dork

The Decemberists: "Everything actually is awful, and it's not that funny"

Colin Meloy chats with Dork about getting out of old habits, branching out into literature and what’s next for The Decemberists.

Artist

The Decemberists →

Album

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World →

Lake Song

Lake Song

Lyrics

Till the Water's All Long Gone

Till the Water's All Long Gone

The Wrong Year

Carolina Low

Better Not Wake the Baby

Better Not Wake the Baby

Anti-Summersong

Anti-Summersong

Easy Come, Easy Go

Easy Come, Easy Go

Mistral

12/17/12

The Decemberists

Severed

The Decemberists

Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

The Decemberists

Ben Franklin's Song

Ben Franklin's Song

The Decemberists

Down By the Water

Down By the Water

The Decemberists

Make You Better

Make You Better

The Decemberists