[Marilyn forwarded these and =
they brought sweet memories of the family tooling down Minnesota Highway =
55 in our robin-egg blue 1954 Chevy]
For those who never saw any of =
the Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the =
1940’s and ’50’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 some 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
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
~~
Dr Bob =
Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"