Rockin' chair money

Posted by ESC on April 29, 2005

In Reply to: Rockin' chair money posted by DRC on April 29, 2005

: : : Hi, I was wondering what is meant by the phrase "rockin' chair money." Hank Williams took it as the name of one of his songs.

: : Could be that now he is done "totin a gun" and wants to settle down.
: : Or maybe he just wants his baby love to join him in some rockin and a rollin'.

: : "I'll soon get my big check, baby
: : And then we'll have some fun
: : This rockin' chair money, honey
: : Is better than totin' a gun
: : Cause I love to rock, yeah rock
: : Baby, rock, let's rock on down the line"

:
: Older individuals are often depicted as sitting in rocking chairs. Therefore, it could mean retirement money.

I agree. I believe it refers to money other than wages -- a pension, disability check, or some other government check. I googled "slang rocking chair check" and came up with a couple of railroad sites that listed the phrase but didn't explain it.

And I found it used in an article:
"Veterans returning after the war, using up their rocking chair money, going to college, migrating to northern cities, now finding life beyond the ridge, fitting in, buying new houses, settling in suburbs." "Fried chicken for breakfast" by Danny Fulks. Bookwoods Home Magazine at www.backwoodshome.com

While looking I found this. Mr. Tamony is my kind of guy:

Tamony, Peter (1902-1985), Collection, 1890-1985 (C3939)
877.6 linear feet, 12 records, 89 audio tapes, 2 audio cassettes

Word Files Series
The Word Files series comprises over 800 boxes of examples of word and phrase usages, which are arranged in alphabetical order. Tamony stored these clippings from newspapers, books, and magazines by cutting the ends off used envelopes and writing the word or phrase at the top. He then folded the item containing the word and inserted it into the envelope.
Western Historic Manuscript Collection - Columbia
www.umsystem.edu/ whmc/invent/3939R.html