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”.