Strange Affair

(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"