It sounds like she knew about the composition change in 1962 for the Lincoln cent. And that some referred to them as brass. I couldn't find anything on the Interwebbie about Chrissie Hynde being a coin collector. Maybe there was a relative or friend yelling in 1962: they're brass now, they're freaking brass what will they come up with next! Heeeeheeee, Zinciesteins dude, Zinciesteins. But seriously, I'd love to know how she knew about that.
Wasn't much of a Pretenders listener back in the day.... But sure did like to watch em'... Nudge-nudge. Wink-wink...
I don't think it had anything to do with U.S. coins. The Pretenders started out as an English band. If anything its about an English phrase, The tradition of ["Brass in Pocket"] is that you're supposed to be kind of cocky and sure of yourself.
I've had a few beers with her brother Terry more than once!!! I met him through my former boss, who is a friend of his. Terry is one of the best sax men I've ever heard, in fact, the Allman Brothers wanted him really, really bad, but Terry didn't want the life of being on the road all the time. Terry plays in a band called 15-60-75, AKA The Numbers Band, among others over the years. I remember when I first heard them back in the mid-70s playing at the bars near Kent State University.
Chrissie is from Akron, Ohio....see my above post. She moved to England later but still comes back on occasion.
