Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Burma Shave



For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs,

Here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's, '40's and '50's.

Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet.... and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream.

Here are more of the actual signs:

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR

BURMA SHAVE


TRAINS DON'T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP'
CUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP

Burma Shave


SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH
BY MISTAKE
SHE THOUGHT IT WAS
HER HUSBAND JAKE

Burma Shave


DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT

Burma Shave


DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
Burma Shave


BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING, NURSE

Burma Shave


CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER

Burma Shave


SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT

Burma Shave


THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE

Burma Shave

AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
Burma Shave


NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU

Burma Shave


A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN

Burma Shave


AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY

Burma Shave


BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL
DRIVER'S CODE

Burma Shave

THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING

Burma Shave


CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.

Burma Shave


PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW

Burma Shave


9 comments:

jedwis said...

That's good stuff SER...when your done shaving I'll send you some Aqua Velva(There's something about yada, yada, yada) & Brylcream(just a little dab will do ya blah,blah,blah) to finish the job. lol

kkdither said...

You'll wonder where the yellow went. when you brush your teeth with...

jedwis said...

Pepsodent??? Do I win? Yes!!! I think this is a sign of what's to come to, finally,a Bedroom Frolics victory.

OrbsCorbs said...

Those are cool.

I saw some Burma Shave signs when I was a kid and we vacationed in Iowa. I don't remember what the jingle was, though.

Today, we remember the signs, but you don't see Burma Shave in the stores.

drewzepmeister said...

These Burma Shave signs remind me of the hundreds Wall Drug signs I saw traveling through South Dakota.

SER said...

Plup plup fizz fizz oh what a relief it is.....

Oh yes the Wall Drug signs, I've seen those and I remember see a couple Burma Shave signs.

Hertz Renta Car use to have some crazy ones also...let Hertz put you in the drivers seat and a guy would come flying down and into a car.

I use to work for Hertz in the very olden days.

Toad said...

SER, I remember them on our trip to California on Route 66. I wish I had an original set. I'll bet they are worth a fortune?

OrbsCorbs said...

Toad, I was thinking that, too. I assume the vast majority of them were destroyed.

jedwis said...

Yeah SER, Hertz had OJ running thru airports too...lol