June Tabor - The King of Rome lyrics

(David Sudbury) 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 Edson's pigeon loft was down the yard Of 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 dream come true There was gonna be a champions' race from Italy "Look at 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 a 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 had 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 from 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 made me dream 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"