Unthanks: The King of Rome

[John Simkin]

Have you heard this beautiful song by Unthanks and the Brighouse & Rastrick Band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am4wgh859Og

King of Rome by Dave Sudbury

In the West End of Derby lives a working man

He says '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 life was hard

But Charlie had a dream, and in 1913

Charlie bred a pigeon that made his dreams come true.

There was going to be a champions' 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 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 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 my 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 my lovely one

You made my dream come true.'

In the West End of Derby lives a working man

He says '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'.