Ah, the good ole Burma Shave Commercials I remember them foundly!

[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 five small red signs with white letters -
about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line rhyme
and an obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular 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





 I STILL REMEMBER:
 HE SAW THE TRAIN
 AND TRIED TO DUCK IT
 HE KICKED THE GAS
 AND THEN THE BUCKET !!
 Burma Shave

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

[solo1]

RJ, thanks for the memories.  Every one comes back  to me.

We have one on highway 27 here on the way to Decatur, Indiana.  NOT Burma Shave but the same style with separate signs like Burma shave.

Listen Birds
These Signs costs money
So Roost awhile
But don't get funny.

The Way it is
Is the way it was
Back Forty restaurant.
Decatur, Indiana

[Karen]

My favorite when I was a kid in Michigan:

IF YOU'RE INSURED

REMEMBER KIDDO

THEY DON'T PAY YOU

THEY PAY YOUR WIDOW

Thanks!

[bassman]

Thanks RJ !  I remember a few of those myself.   

[signart]

I have 3 of an original set.

[indybobm]

We did a lot of trips from indy to Missouri in the mid 50s. Saw a lot of Burma Shave signs on the way. It was something you looked forward to.

[John Schmidt]

Oh yes, memories of years gone by and much simpler time. When traveling by car, we used to play the "alphabet game" and you could always count on getting a "v" from those signs. I could never beat dad, that man could see into next week it seemed. Found out years later he'd recognize certain signs by their shape so knew what to look for.

[R J]

Oh yes, memories of years gone by and much simpler time. When traveling by car, we used to play the "alphabet game" and you could always count on getting a "v" from those signs. I could never beat dad, that man could see into next week it seemed. Found out years later he'd recognize certain signs by their shape so knew what to look for.

My Grandmother was a whiz at the alphabet game.

I could dust her butt off on finding Cemeteries.

We would look for a specific animal like horses, cows, bulls and etc.   Then whoever found a Cemetery cancelled everything off of the other ones find in the animal count.    You  had to find a dozen animals of what ever ones we were looking for to win.    I loved to have her get 11 of whatever we were looking for and then find a Cemetery to wipe her out.

[Super Santa]

This one is the one I first recall when Burma Shave is mentioned.

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

[RDAbull]

Along Rt 66 in central MO, Mid 60's.

Went around the curve
car was a whizzing,
fault was her'n
funeral was his'n
Burma Shave

[john]

    

[old2soon]

Sat in the back seat of our 53 Ford 4 door in Sheridan Blue with the window down in the summer-think 4-50 air conditioning-4 windows down 50 M P H-reading those Burma Shave signs!  Definitely brought back some fond memories of a childhood gone all too soon.  On another memory note riding around with my brother in the P/U or the V W playing license plate poker.  R J-things like this make me KNOW why I am old2soon!  RIDE SAFE.

[R J]

Another one.

Nut behind wheel
Peach in arms
Turn corner
Fruit Salad
Burma Shave.

[crow]

We played a game traveling in the car, teams were drivers side, passengers side.  Windmills were a point each, two if it was turning. Ponds were five, cemeteries, loose all  your points.   Then came the interstates.  Gone were the roadside picknick tables where you could stop and have a sandwich and a drink from the well pump.   Gone were gas wars,  99 cent hot open face beef sandwiches, service with a smile, check the oil sir?   And of course..... Windmills