How many remember those little Burma Shave signs? Let's see the hands.

[R J]

 For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's and '40'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
'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 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


Do these bring back any old memories?
If not, you're merely a child.
If they do - then you're old as dirt... 
       LIKE ME!   

[Super Santa]

Around the curve
Likety split
Lovely car
Wasn't it.

Burma Shave

That is the one that has stuck with me through all the years.  I loved them.

[Lyn-Del]

There were a few that existed past the 40s because i remember seeing them on summer vacations when I was young, and I wasn't born until Oct. '56

They were the highlight of the trips for me

[Thunderbolt]

and yes I remember those signs, they were al through Al and Ga,Tn and Ms.  I also remember that a lot of barn tops and sides had things like "See Rock City" painted on them.

[solo1]

Oh yeah!

There is a set of signs on Highway 27 going south to Decatur Indiana.  They're not Burma Shave but remind me of them.

LISTEN BIRDS
THESE SIGNS COST MONEY
SO ROOST AWHILE
BUT DON'T GET FUNNY

Back 40 Restaurant, Decatur

[sugerbear]

ya but i was reeeeaaalllllyyyyyyyy young  LOL. had them is kansas.

[John Schmidt]

Oh my....yup, older than dirt.    I remember them well, a couple of my relatives that had farms in Iowa had those in the field out by the road. A high school buddy used to hang a piece of ladies undergarment on one of those signs near his girlfriend's farm, apparently was his way of keeping the rest of us "abreast" of his conquests. It also told us it was just the two of them at home and for us to stay away....not likely to happen. So, one night on the way to my gal's place I see his "signal" hanging from a Burma Shave sign, so I swiped a huge pair of bloomers off a nearby clothesline and hung it up there in place of the one he had hung. Those suckers were the size of modern day pedal pushers the gals wear. He figured out who did it, and unknown to me...he sneaked over to my place one night and hung them out of the trunk lid. I drove around town for three days before his dad, a local cop, asked me if I was bragging about MY conquest....then pointed it out to me. The places I parked made it so I never approached the car from the rear, that's why I never saw it. Three days at school with bloomers hanging out the back....and nobody would tell me. They all just wanted to know who my new girlfriend was.

[Big Rig]

I have heard of them and happy to say, too young to have seen them for myself.

Thanks for sharing.

Maybe if we had
Those signs today
Maybe people would
not be chatting away!

[Grumpy]

I remember them, also See Rock City painted on many barns in the central US.  And yes, I am as old as dirt, but still on top, not under it. 

[Charlie McCready]

Yep, I remember them, all over Tennessee in the 50s. And I think some in VA.

[Valkahuna]

Even though we only arrived in the US in 1959 (I was eleven) I remember seeing them in the midwest. We lived in Wisconsin, but traveled throughout Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, and I remember them well.

Of course I also remember playing word games with license plates of other cars, or another game was to find the first letters in alphabetic order on a sign that we were passing. Why did it seem I was always searching for the hard ones like "X", or "Q", or "Y"? 

It's amazing we survived without watching movies in the car, or video games. Boy, I never realized just how bad we had it then!

[OverdueBill]

I remember them also.  I think there are a couple "See Rock City" barns around still.  I also remember car trips in Texas in the summer with NO air conditioning. 

[R J]

I remember them also.  I think there are a couple "See Rock City" barns around still.  I also remember car trips in Texas in the summer with NO air conditioning.  

NO A/C, wow, my 1st real civilian job, I was assigned to Blythe, CA, my Patrol car was a 49 Nash Ambassador, NO a/c, NO power brakes, NO power steering, MANUAL transmission, with OVERDRIVE, 6 cylinder stock engine,  had it 9 months, then got a HOT 55 Buick, still no a/c, and the radio was out of range 1/2 the time.

    

[hotglue #43]

I remember the signs...... but they must have been REALLY old when I saw them  ..LOL
I also remember the canvas bag ya filled with water and hung in the open window of the car for air conditioning.... it leaked enough water ta kinda cool ya off....well sorta..as the wind blew across it...  

[solo1]

About 14 years ago Reminisce magazine was putting out NEW Burma Shave signs in a few places.  One set was on Route 32 near Black Water Falls close to Davis in W. Virginia.  Chris and I had ridden down to Canaan Valley for a HSTA gathering and I saw them. I wonder if the signs are still there?

Do you remember also the Mail Pouch signs painted on the sides of big red barns?   How about THREE lane highways?  Full service at 'filling' stations and gas 20 cents per gallon.  How about using alcohol for antifreeze instead of Prestone?  How about one windshield wiper on cars, the second one was an added accessory.

I'll quit now.

[Big IV]

Occasionally places will still use Burma Shave sign style advertising. I'm younger than the original burma shave signs.

[vanagon40]

I do not remember the Burma Shave signs, but have seen lots of Mail Pouch Tobacco barns and See Rock City barns.

I always remember a MAD Magazine parody of the Burma Shave signs:

Empty beer cans along the road

Are ugly people say.

But at night

Reflecting light

They safely guide the way.

Burma Shave.

[keythumper]

I can remember the Burma Shave adds ...  we even had them in Canada

[fudgie]

Only place I have seen them was on I-90 (ugh) in SD. Saw them from Mitchel to Wall. I like the 'see rock city' signs. Still see Chew Mail pouch on barns.

[Karen]

My Favorite!

If you're insured
Remember Kiddo
They don't pay you
They pay your widow

Burma Shave

[f-Stop]

Someone actually archived all the Burma Shave jingles...

http://burma-shave.org/

[Sludge]

I have heard of them and happy to say, too young to have seen them for myself.

Thanks for sharing.

Maybe if we had
Those signs today
Maybe people would
not be chatting away!

Im right there with a Big Rig!  Heard of em too, but too young to have seen em.

Also, if no one else will do so... I will....


Good Job on your jingle! 

[HayHauler]

About 14 years ago Reminisce magazine was putting out NEW Burma Shave signs in a few places.  One set was on Route 32 near Black Water Falls close to Davis in W. Virginia.  Chris and I had ridden down to Canaan Valley for a HSTA gathering and I saw them. I wonder if the signs are still there?

Do you remember also the Mail Pouch signs painted on the sides of big red barns?   How about THREE lane highways?  Full service at 'filling' stations and gas 20 cents per gallon.  How about using alcohol for antifreeze instead of Prestone?  How about one windshield wiper on cars, the second one was an added accessory.

I'll quit now.

Hay Wayne, how about when the starter was a big button on the floor...  I'm not old enough to have driven a car with one of these, but rode with my uncle in one when I was a wee lad...

Hay  
Jimmyt

[highcountry]

I remember them, also See Rock City painted on many barns in the central US.  And yes, I am as old as dirt, but still on top, not under it. 

+1  Been there and seen them too.  Vividly remember the Rock City signs but my dad would never stop at Rock City.