[Dixielandjazz] Music slang "rock"

[Don Kirkman]

On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:07:39 -0700, you wrote:

>While looking into research about "Milenburg Joys",  I noticed that
>the lyrics start with "Rock My Soul".

>These lyrics were written in 1923 or so.  In those days what did the
>verb "rock" mean?  Slang dictionaries on line didn't give an answer.

>What other lyrics to jazz songs of the 20s use the term?  Anybody
>know something about this?  Is it an antecedent for the current use
>of the word to define a musical genre?

"Rockin' my soul in the bosom of Abraham" *could* have been jazzed but
someone else will have to give us a reference if it has.  I suspect
the soul in the spiritual was being rocked like a baby being
comforted.  There's no comfort in today's rock, far as I can see.  :-)

Of course, there're always alternate takes.  Some nowadays comments
seem to make it "Rock o' my soul," which would make it more of a safe
place.
-- 
Don
Old age is when you start saying "I wish I knew now what I knew then."

>Ken Gates
>
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