Burma Shave Signs

[Dave Mc]

This has been around awhile,but it's great if ya missed it

http://oldfortyfives.com/DYRT.htm

[Henryat1140]

They missed the turn
The car was whizzin'
The fault was her'n
The funeral hizzin
BURMA SHAVE

[PeteVS]

When you're near, you are my master.
When you're far, I'm still your slave.
Just seeing you makes my heart beat faster.
I'll always adore you. BURMA SHAVE

[Shadetree]

Ben met Anna,
made a hit.
Ben neglected beard,
Ben-Anna split.

Burma Shave

Shadetree

[Old Henry]

One part of the great nostalgia of our Route 66 trip was to see the Burma Shave signs still maintained on that route west of Seligman, AZ. Took me back to my childhood when they were everywhere.

[47COE]

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Said Farmer Brown
Who is bald on top
Wish I could
Rotate the crop

Burma Shave

[Shadetree]

Twinkle, twinkle
One-eyed car
We all wonder
WHERE You are
Burma Shave

[raceron1120]

Kids around,
Take it slow.
Let the little
Shavers grow.
Burma Shave

[chriscris]

many a man
a mistake he makes
relies on horn
instead of brakes
Burma Shave

[amodel25]

Don't try passing
on a slope
Unless you have
a periscope
Burma Shave

[csmbraz]

Spring has sprung
Grass is rizzed
Where last years
Careless driver is
Burma Shave

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

One part of the great nostalgia of our Route 66 trip was to see the Burma Shave signs still maintained on that route west of Seligman, AZ. Took me back to my childhood when they were everywhere.

By Golly, here's a video on YouTube showing one set of the very BurmaShave signs we saw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvf4_gzH1Y

And here's a great Brylcreem commercial from the 50's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=o6F4GtyRfto

And one for Kool Aid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKY2O...eature=related

How 'bout Bucky Beaver stumping for Ipana Toothpaste:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0po-...eature=related

[Dick]

Around the corner
lickity split
Beautiful Car
Wasn't it
Burma Shave

[Old Henry]

A fairly complete list:

1940 saw an early reference to the idea of a designated driver:

• It's best for / One who hits / The bottle / To let another / Use the throttle / Burma-Shave

More safety slogans in 1941, along with ads:

• Don't stick / Your elbow / Out so far / It might go home / In another car / Burma-Shave
• At intersections / Look each way / A harp sounds nice / But it's / Hard to play / Burma-Shave
• From / Bar / To car / To gates / Ajar / Burma-Shave
• Broken romance / Stated fully / She went wild / When he / Went wooly / Burma Shave

Possibly the ultimate in self-referencing signs, leaving out the product name. This one also adorns the cover of the book:

• If you / Don't know / Whose signs / These are / You can't have / Driven very far

The war years found the company recycling a lot of their old signs, with new ones mostly focusing on World War II "propaganda":

• Let's make Hitler / And Hirohito / Feel as bad / as Old Benito / Buy War Bonds / Burma-Shave
• Slap / The Jap / With / Iron / Scrap / Burma-Shave

1947:

• Don't lose / Your head / To gain a minute / You need your head / Your brains are in it / Burma-Shave (repeated in 1963)
• Car in ditch / Driver in tree / Moon was full / And so / Was he / Burma-Shave
• I use it too / The bald man said / It keeps my face / Just like / My head / Burma-Shave
• In Cupid's little / Bag of trix / Here's the one / That clix / With chix / Burma-Shave

1950:

• He tried / To cross / As fast train neared / Death didn't draft him / He volunteered / Burma-Shave
• My job is / Keeping faces clean / And nobody knows / De stubble / I've seen / Burma-Shave
• Her chariot / Raced 80 per / They hauled away / What had / Ben Hur / Burma-Shave

1951:

• Drinking drivers / Don't you know / Great bangs / From little / Binges grow? / Burma-Shave
• Proper / Distance / To him was bunk / They pulled him out / Of some guy's trunk / Burma-Shave

1952:

• Pedro / Walked / Back home, by golly / His bristly chin / Was hot-to-Molly / Burma-Shave (repeated in 1963)
• The wolf / Is shaved / So neat and trim / Red Riding Hood / Is chasing him / Burma-Shave
• Missin' / Kissin'? / Perhaps your thrush / Can't get thru / The underbrush — try / Burma-Shave
• A chin / Where barbed wire / Bristles stand / Is bound to be / A no ma'ams land / Burma-Shave

1953:

• Around / The curve / Lickety-split / Lovely car / Wasn't it? / Burma Shave

1955

• Dinah doesn't / Treat him right / But if he'd / Shave / Dyna-mite! / Burma-Shave
• The big blue tube's / Just like Louise / You get / A thrill / From every squeeze / Burma-Shave
• To change that / Shaving job / To joy / You gotta use / The real McCoy / Burma-Shave
• The monkey took / One look at Jim / And threw the peanuts / Back at him / He needed / Burma-Shave
• Slow down, Pa / Sakes alive / Ma missed signs / Four / And five / Burma Shave

1959's ads included perhaps the worst of the "cringe-worthy" safety slogans:

• Said Farmer Brown / Who's bald / On top / Wish I could / Rotate the crop / Burma-Shave
• This cooling shave / Will never fail / To stamp / Its user / First-class male / Burma-Shave
• Don't / Try passing / On a slope / Unless you have / A periscope / Burma-Shave
• If daisies / Are your / Favorite flower / Keep pushin' up those / Miles per hour / Burma-Shave
• He lit a match / To check gas tank / That's why / They call him / Skinless Frank / Burma Shave

1960 saw the last group of original signs until 1963:

• Henry the Eighth / Sure had / Trouble / Short term wives / Long term stubble / Burma-Shave
• Ben / Met Anna / Made a hit / Neglected beard / Ben-Anna split / Burma-Shave
• Dim your lights / Behind a car / Let folks see / How bright / You are / Burma-Shave
• Angels / Who guard you / When you drive / Usually / Retire at 65 / Burma-Shave

1963 was the last year for the signs, most of which were repeats, including the final slogan, which had first appeared in 1953:

• Our fortune / Is your / Shaven face / It's our best / Advertising space / Burma-Shave

One sign considered, but never used:[4]

• Listen birds / These signs cost / Money / So roost a while / But don't get funny / Burma-Shave

• (year unknown) Here lies / Heaven's neophyte / signaled left / then turned right / Burma-Shave

[59ab]

Mid fifties on US 41 in north Georgia:
Substitutes
Will let you down
Quicker than a
Strapless gown
Burma-Shave

[Pete]

Hey now everyone
We're in luck
Here's a song
From our man Buck

[170A]

Here is one I remember when I was a Kid just a few years back.
FREE FREE/A TRIP/TO MARS/FOR 10,000/EMPTY JARS/ BURMA SHAVE!
I hope I got it right only been fifty or sixty years ago

[cmbrucew]

Route 66
The best thing ever out of Oklahoma.
Remember Whitting gas stations and their .02 and .03 discount cards.
Really helped.
Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time