In the west end of Derby there lives a working man
He said ?I can?t fly but my 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
Of a rented house in Brook Street where times were hard
But Charlie had a dream, and in nineteen thirteen
Charlie bred a pigeon and made his dreams come true.
There was going to be a champion?s 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 of the big race the storms 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 you have to try
A man can crawl around or he could learn how to fly
And when you live ?round here the ground seems awful near sometimes I need a lift from victory?.
So it?s off with my mates for a pint or two
Suddenly a 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 upon your roof.
?Come on down Your Majesty
I knew that you would come back to me
Come on down my lovely one, you made my dreams come true.?
In the west end of Derby there lived a working man
He said ?I can?t fly but my pigeons can
And when I set them free, it?s just like part of me gets lifted up on shining wings?.