Rockin' Chair
Gene Krupa & His Orchestra ft. Roy Eldridge and Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you raise the sails anymore.
It's for sure, I've spent my whole life at sea
And I'm pushin' age seventy three;
Now there's only one place that was meant for me:
Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie.
We're gonna soothe away the rest of our years,
We're gonna put away all of our tears,
That big Rockin' Chair won't go nowhere.
Slow down, Willie Boy,
Your heart's gonna give right out on you
It's true, and I believe I know what we should do.
Turn the stern and point to shore,
The seven seas won't carry us no more.
Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie.
I can't wait to sniff that air,
Dip'n snuff, I won't have no care,
That big Rockin' Chair won't go nowhere.
Hear the sound, Willie Boy,
The Flyin' Dutchman's on the reef.
It's my belief
We've used up all our time,
This hill's to steep to climb,
And the days that remain ain't worth a dime.
Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie.
Would-a-been nice just t'see the folks,
Listen once again to the stale jokes,
That big Rockin' Chair won't go nowhere.
I can hear something calling on me
And you know where I want to be
Oh Willie don't you hear that sound
Oh to be home again down in old Virginny
I just want to get my feet back on the ground
Oh to be home again down in old Virginny
I'd love to see my very best friend
They call him Rag-time Willie
I believe old rockin chair's got me(oh to be home again)
The lyrics of Gene Krupa Big Band's "Rockin' Chair" tell the story of two old sailors who are ready to retire and settle down in their home state of Virginia. Willie Boy, one of the sailors, is urged to slow down and not set sail anymore, as his heart is failing him. The two men reminisce about their past life at sea and dream of returning to their beloved Virginia, where they plan to spend their remaining years relaxing in a rocking chair, away from the hardships of a life at sea. The song's lyrics convey a sense of weariness and nostalgia, as the sailors long for the simplicity and comfort of their home state.
Line by Line Meaning
Hang around, Willie Boy, Don't you raise the sails anymore.
I'm tired of being at sea and want to go back home to Virginia with my friend Willie, where we can relax in our old age.
It's for sure, I've spent my whole life at sea And I'm pushin' age seventy three;
I've been a sailor my whole life and now I'm getting old, so I want to retire and go back to Virginia.
Now there's only one place that was meant for me: Oh, to be home again,
I feel like there's nowhere else for me except to be back home in Virginia, where I belong.
Down in old Virginny, With my very best friend, They call him Ragtime Willie.
I want to be back in Virginia with my friend Willie, who's known for playing ragtime music.
We're gonna soothe away the rest of our years, We're gonna put away all of our tears, That big Rockin' Chair won't go nowhere.
We want to spend our remaining years in peace and happiness, and the rocking chair will be our symbol of stability and contentment.
Slow down, Willie Boy, Your heart's gonna give right out on you It's true, and I believe I know what we should do.
We need to slow down and take care of our health, and I have an idea of what to do next.
Turn the stern and point to shore, The seven seas won't carry us no more.
We need to steer the ship towards land because we're too old to keep sailing the seas.
Hear the sound, Willie Boy, The Flyin' Dutchman's on the reef. It's my belief We've used up all our time, This hill's too steep to climb, And the days that remain ain't worth a dime.
We're running out of time and it's too difficult to keep going, so we need to go back home to Virginia where we can live out our remaining days without worry.
Would-a-been nice just t'see the folks, Listen once again to the stale jokes, That big Rockin' Chair won't go nowhere.
It would be nice to see our old friends and hear their jokes again, but our main goal is to sit in our rocking chairs and relax.
I can hear something calling on me And you know where I want to be Oh Willie don't you hear that sound
I feel like something is calling me back to Virginia, and I want to be there with Willie.
I just want to get my feet back on the ground Oh to be home again down in old Virginny
I want to go back to Virginia and live a simple life on the ground instead of on a ship.
I'd love to see my very best friend They call him Rag-time Willie
I can't wait to see my friend Willie again, who's known for playing ragtime music.
I believe old rockin chair's got me(oh to be home again)
I feel like the rocking chair is calling me back to Virginia, which is where I belong.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBBIE ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind