For those of you who never saw the Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the '30's and '40's.
Before the 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 a few of the actual signs.
DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER-
GOOD MORNING NURSE
CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND LOTS MORE STEER
SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
AROUND TH CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU
THE GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY
BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL
DRIVER'S CODE
THE ONE WHO DRIVES WHEN
THEY'VE BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO THEIR THINKING
CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE
PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW
HE TRIED TO CROSS
AS FAST TRAIN NEARED
DEATH DIDN'T DRAFT HIM
HE VOLUNTEERED
HER CHARIOT RACED
80 PER
THEY HAULED AWAY
WHAT HAD BEN HUR
TRAIN WRECKS FEW
REASON CLEAR
FIREMAN NEVER HUGS
ENGINEER
ALTHOUGH INSURED
REMEMBER KIDDO
THEY DON'T PAY YOU
THEY PAY YOUR WIDOW
A personal favorite I remember
DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT TOO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR


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