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about

A glorious real story of a heroic racing pigeon, here sung with the three different ‘voices’; narrator, hero and friends.
Featuring Tony Hillyard as 'the narrator'.

lyrics

The King of Rome

In the West End of Derby lives a working man, 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 ‘udson'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.
“We got out the maps, all that land and sea,
Charlie, you'll lose that bird.”
But Charlie never heard,
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 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 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, 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.”

credits

from Tales of Common Folk, Salt & Sweet Kisses, track released April 3, 2022
Song written by Dave Sudbury

Pigeon image - Derby Museum and Art Gallery, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons – Andy Mabbett

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about

Nigel Parry image

Nigel Parry New Zealand

Soulful Folkiwi Music
"..rapidly becoming an established player.., bringing his strong, mellow voice and sympathetic guitar sounds to songs old and new, traditional and his own compositions.”

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