Man, I really love my furniture... my recliner and I go way back.
Why this joke works
An Old Friend in the Living Room
People who go way back have known each other for a long time. A recliner also goes backward when someone leans into it. Calling the chair a familiar companion allows both readings to occupy the same sentence. Let the opening sound warmly sentimental, then avoid explaining the chair's movement before the ending. The ordinary expression does the work once the furniture is in view.
A closer look
Two companions moving together
The speaker includes both the person and the chair in one shared action. That matters because the sitter physically moves with the backrest, making the literal reading fit the pair rather than just the object. A small backward lean after the final words can illustrate the picture, but the text remains understandable without a performance.
Fact behind the joke
The chair’s moving parts
A recliner is a chair with an adjustable back and footrest. Those moving parts distinguish it from an ordinary fixed armchair. The punchline focuses on the backrest's change of position, giving a familiar expression about an old friendship a concrete furniture mechanism.