E
In the west end of Derby there lives a working man
                            A
He said “I can’t fly but my pigeons can
    E               A          E                 A       E            B       E
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
                                        A
Of a rented house in Brook Street where times were hard
    E             A             E            A
But Charlie had a dream, and in nineteen thirteen
E                                  B           E
Charlie bred a pigeon and made his dreams come true.
There was going to be a champion’s race from Italy
                              A
We got out the maps; all that land and sea
E                        A         E             A         E                              B      E
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
A thousand birds were swept away and never seen again
E                   A   E                 A
Charlie we told you so, surely by now you know 
            E                                       B           E
When you’re living in the west end there ain’t many dreams come true.
“Yeah, I know but you have to try
                                   A
A man can crawl around or he could learn how to fly
    E                    A        E                  A        E              B              E
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
                    A
Suddenly a flash up in the blue
E                        A          E                    A
Charlie it’s the King of Rome, come back to his west end home 
E                                 B       E
Come outside quick he’s perched upon your roof.
“Come on down Your Majesty
                           A
I knew that you would come back to me
E                                       B           E
Come on down my lovely one, you made my dreams come true.”
In the west end of Derby there lived a working man
                            A
He said “I can’t fly but my pigeons can
    E               A          E                 A       E            B       E
And when I set them free, it’s just like part of me gets lifted up on shining wings”.