The King of Rome

In the West End of Derby lives a working man He says "I can't fly but me pigeons can And when I set them free It's just like part of me Gets lifted up on shining wings" Charlie Hudson's pigeon loft was down the yard In a rented house in Brook Street where life was hard But Charlie had a dream And in 1913 Charlie bred a pigeon that made his dreams come true There was gonna be a champions' race from Italy We got out the maps, all that land and sea "Charlie, you'll lose that bird" But Charlie never heard He put it in a basket and sent it off to Rome On the day o' the big race the storm blew in A thousand birds were swept away and never seen again "Charlie we told you so Surely by now you know When you're living in the West End there ain't many dreams come true" "Yeah, I know, but I have to try A man can crawl around or he can learn to fly And if you live 'round here The ground seems awful near Sometimes I need a lift to victory" I was off with me mates for a pint or two When I saw a wing flash up in the blue "Charlie, it's the King of Rome Come back to his West End home Come outside quick, he's perched up on your roof" "Come on down, Your Majesty I knew you'd make it back to me Come on down, you lovely one You've made my dreams come true In the West End of Derby lives a working man He says " I can't fly, but me pigeons can And when I set them free, it's just like part of me Gets lifted up on shining wings"