Burma Shave

[mickeyd]

Who remembers riding the highways and byways of the USA in the 50's and 60's? Do you recall seeing these along the roadside? I can't recall the last time I viewed these poetic jewels so I'm assuming that they ended in the 60s or 70s. I believe that Burma Shave is still a marketed shaving cream.

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
'CAUSE 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

 

[yakers]

Saw a few left/restored when We did Route 66 a couple years ago. Still a good idea, surprised some major product promoter hasn't adopted the system of staged signs.

 

[Orchidflower]

I'm with Yakers. I'm surprised some clever ad man hasn't adopted this signage practice myself. I mean, here we are how many years after the signs came down and still remember Burma Shave? Great gimmick.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Evidently the cream is no more but you can buy a Burma Shaving soap kit.

Amazon.com: Burma-Shave Mug Brush And Soap Set: Health & Personal Care

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Shave

 

[W2R]

The Burma Shave ads sure made long drives a lot more fun as a kid. That, and counting VW's, and counting the states represented by license plates we saw.

 

[Nords]

That, and counting VW's, and counting the states represented by license plates we saw.

... and spotting barns touting "Red Man Chewing Tobacco"...

 

[cantlogin]

... and spotting barns touting "Red Man Chewing Tobacco"...

Or "Mail Pouch"

 

[W2R]

And yelling "Pididdle!" and "Piduncle!" at the top of our lungs when we saw a car with a headlight or taillight out, as a long drive continued on and on after dark...

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I love rounding a bend here in western PA and happening upon an old Mail Pouch barn. They are fast disappearing and it is a thrill to see one. Equally interesting to me are novelties like The Coffee Pot building in Bedford Co and The Shoe in York. When I lived on Long Island I remember passing The Big Duck. I also find charming the little Mom and Pop motels from years past...tiny motor courts or little bitty cabins with signs that flashed vacancy or no vacancy. Often the proprietors lived behind the office. So different from the big sterile chain hotels.

 

[RonBoyd]

I wonder it it wasn't a single person who composed them all... or a team (two or more) that when broken lost the "magic."

Anyway, there are more here:

Burma-Shave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tesaje]

And yelling "Pididdle!" and "Piduncle!" at the top of our lungs when we saw a car with a headlight or taillight out, as a long drive continued on and on after dark...

We called piddle and diddleput for the rear.

I remember being mystified at those burma shave signs. Never could figure out what burma shave was ... or what the message had to do with burma shave. But I was really young then.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

We got a book of Burma Shave slogans for my father one year for Christmas. It was written by one of the heirs. It had every one he could remember.

I inherited that book. I love it.

We kids remember Burma Shave signs well. We used to drive back east to visit the grandparents every other year. Them and XXX Root Beer stands (was that A&W?).

There is a song called "On the Road to Burma Shave".
LYRICS: Foreign Affairs: Burma Shave
I heard it on Austin City Limits long ago. It still stirs me.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Got it here:
YouTube - Tom Waits - Burma Shave (Live)