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OT: The Verse By The Side Of The Road

D

Dean

Well-known Member
How many of you remember the Burma Shave signs beside the highway in the 50s and 60s (and before)?

Below are a couple from my memory.

Drinking drivers
Nothing worse
They put the quart
Before the hearse.
Burma Shave

One armed drivers
and their ladies
soon will be
Pushing up daisies.
Burma Shave

And here is one that many of us old farmers can relate with:

Said Farmer Brown
Who's bald on top
Wish I could
Rotate the crop.
Burma Shave

I invite all of you to post your favorites

Have fun.

Dean.
 
Car in ditch
Man in tree
Moon was full
So was he

Cattle crossing
Means go slow
That old bull
Is some cows beau

These were on our farm in the 50s
 
Wonderful, JMS.

The second one was first posted in 1958. Haven't found the first one yet but do remember reading it.

I have the book that records all of the verses used by Burma Shave and the years that they were first used. They did, sometimes recycle earlier ones.

Dean
 
There were some for Olson Knife company too. I don't know if it was just a Michigan thing or not.

Fatty Fatty

Run for your life

Here comes Skinny

With an Olson Knife
 
I did not know about Olson Knife.

How about this one:

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

Dean
 
The night was dark,
the cars were whizzin'.
The fault was hers,
The funeral, hizz'n.

Not positive on the first line.
 
(quoted from post at 12:22:19 04/02/17) How many of you remember the Burma Shave signs beside the highway in the 50s and 60s (and before)?

Below are a couple from my memory.

Drinking drivers
Nothing worse
They put the quart
Before the hearse.
Burma Shave

One armed drivers
and their ladies
soon will be
Pushing up daisies.
Burma Shave

And here is one that many of us old farmers can relate with:

Said Farmer Brown
Who's bald on top
Wish I could
Rotate the crop.
Burma Shave

I invite all of you to post your favorites

Have fun.

Dean.
Click to expand...

'His face was smooth and cool as ice, and Oh Louise, he smelled so nice, BURMA SHAVE'
 
Great!

How about this one:

Passing cars
when you can't see
may get you
a glimpse
of eternity.
Burma Shave

Dean
 
Your memory is much better than mine. The only thing I do remember are the large advertisements on the sides of many barns, mostly all over. As a young boy those painted barns really stood out. My Dad had to me that the farmer who had this done got hos whole barn painted for him.
 
it gave McDonald,
the needed charm,
hello, Hollywood,
goodbye, farm

Dinah wouldn't treat him right,
but if he'd shave,
dinahmite


be blessed, greateful, prepared
 
It's not my memory, DG.

I must admit that I have the book that published all of the Burma Shave verses that were posted by the side of the road, as well as the year that they were used.

I too remember the Mail Pouch barns.

Dean
 
U.S. Highway 69, near Jewell, Iowa. As I was only 10, I didn't understand what a 'strapless gown' was.....


Substitutes can
Let you down
Quicker than a
Strapless Gown
Burma Shave.
 
I remember this from a trip south as a teen.

He lit a match.
to check the tank,
now they call him,
Skinless Frank..
Burma Shave..
 
Bingo!

According to my book, first used in 1955.

I, too, had no idea what they were talking about in 1955.

Dean
 
I had no idea that such a website existed.

It appears to reproduce most everything published in the book that I have published in 1966.

Dean
 
Twinkle, twinkle, one-eyed car; how I wonder where you are.

Don't know if this was a Burma-Shave, but it's in the same mode: The moon was out, the stars were lit, when Pa went out to stroll a bit. When he came home the stars were gone, the sun was out and Pa was lit.
 
Here's the Burma Shave sign that I remember:

Spring is here

The grass has riz

Where last year's

Careless driver is.

Burma Shave
 
From the last year, 1963:

Pedro walked home
by golly
his bristly chin
was hot-to-molly
Burma Shave

Dean
 
Olson knife was a small company out of Howard City MI. Long gone. rrlund and I probably ones of a few who even remember them. Doubt if their signage ever got far out of our area. Don't remember seeing it except right around Howard City, but then I didn't travel much as a kid.
 
Have put up signs up as close to original as I could make them. The set up now says:

He had the money
He had the flat
She felt his chin
and that
was that
Burma Shave
 
OK, anybody from Washington State remember the "Tiny's" signs? Like "only 213 miles to Tiny's" . They were all over the North West US for years. When you finally got there, it was a huge fruit stand with a petting zoo and kid's playground. Had a small donkey that would pick your pockets for sugar cubes, using his tongue!
 
How about this one:

Ben met Anna
Mad a hit
Whiskers scratched
Ben-Anna split
Burma Shave
 
Had one set up that the Burma Shave committee turned down because it was too racy. Somebody stoled them one night and they never showed up again. It said:

Listen birds
these signs cost money
so roost awhile
but don't
get funny
Burma Shave
 
She kissed the hairbrush by mistake-
She thought it was her husband Jake.
Burma Shave

Don't stick your elbow out so far-
It may go home in another car.
Burma Shave

Does your husband misbehave?
Grunt and grumble?
Rant and rave?
Shoot the brute some Burma Shave!
 
Wow, I was actually 8 then. My Dad drove a semi (White) for Butternut Bread every night to Webster City and Fridays I'd go along with him. Always stopped at 'M&M Lunch on the way home at Blairsburg Junction, where U.S 20 and U.S 69 crossed. Good Times.....
 
If Crouso'd kept his chin more tidy he might have a lady Friday. Burma Shave. The last one I remember, even remember where it was.

Pete
 
On the east coast of the US don't forget all of the South of the Boarder sings. You would start picking them up a little south of Washington. Some of them were so corny. Fort Pedro with all of 5he fireworks!
 
I've heard that they may be bringing the road side signs back but have not been able to confirm this.

Dean
 
The way I heard it was,

They missed the turn,
Car was whizzin',
Fault was hern,
Funeral his'n.
 
(quoted from post at 07:12:14 04/04/17) So, did any of you guys answering this ever see it for sale or actually use Burma Shave?
Click to expand...

Yep - bought some at the drugstore when I first started shavin'. :) This post made me wonder if a guy could still find some. :?:
 
(quoted from post at 14:27:25 04/08/17)
(quoted from post at 19:09:51 04/02/17) Red with white lettering.
Click to expand...

That is just the opposite of what I remember BUT you are probably right! :?
Click to expand...

Well.......you WERE right -
red w/white lettering (with a few exceptions)........RATS! :roll:

Click this>>>>>>>>>http://fiftiesweb.com/pop/burma-shave/


Old Burma Shave Signs
Burma Shave road sign advertising: Burma-Shave sign series appeared from 1925 to 1963 in most of the contiguous United States. The exceptions were New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada (deemed to have insufficient road traffic), and Massachusetts (eliminated due to that state's high land rentals and roadside foliage). Typically, six consecutive small signs would be posted along the edge of highways, spaced for sequential reading by passing motorists. The last sign was almost always the name of the product. The signs were originally produced in two color combinations: red-and-white and orange-and-black, though the latter was eliminated after a few years. A special white-on-blue set of signs was developed for South Dakota, which restricted the color red on roadside signs to official warning notices.

This use of the billboard was a successful advertising gimmick during the early years of the automobile, drawing attention and passers-by who were curious to discover the punchline. As the Interstate system expanded in the late 1950s and vehicle speeds increased, it became more difficult to attract motorists' attention with small signs. When the company was acquired by Phillip Morris, the signs were discontinued on advice of counsel....from Wikipedia
 
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