Burma Shave... tripping down memory lane.

[David In Indy]

Many here are probably too young to remember all those wonderful Burma Shave signs along the highways. They were popular in the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. Here in Indiana, one could find Burma Shave signs still posted on the highways well into the 1970's. I remember them. We always enjoyed reading them as we travelled back and forth from Cincinnati and New Orleans when I was little (along with the "See Rock City" and "Big Red Chewing Tobacco" ads painted on the sides of barns). Here are a few of my favorite Burma shave signs...

"No Matter The Price
No Matter How New,
The Best Safety Device
In The Car Is You
-Burma Shave"

"At Intersections
Look Each Way
A Harp Sounds Nice
But It's Hard To Play
-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"

"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"

[dot-matrix]

I remember a family vacation when I was a girl, we went to Grand Canyon and then drove the old route 66 as far as St Louis.  Road trips were so different back then.  You drove through little towns, met lots of interesting people and saw so much more of the beauty of the land than you do on the sterile interstates.  I remember those Burma Shave signs, my brother and I use to watch for them, and we played license plate bingo and always looked for the odd little motels and coffee shops along the way.  Like the motel with the little cabins shaped like Indian tepee's or the coffee shop shaped like a dinosaur or a the one that was a flying saucer in New Mexico!  What fun all that stuff was. I remember a gas station in Tucumcari New Mexico that still has the old gas pumps with the glass bubble at the top, where you had to pump the gas up into the bubble before putting it in your car.   My brother and I always wanted to stay in one of those odd little motels but my folks insisted on Howard Johnson's or Holiday Inn  coz kids stayed free and ate for half price  and they were brand new and clean....all very important things to my mother. 

[David In Indy]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who remembers those signs Dottie!

Reading those Burma Shave signs were a great way to pass the time on long drives. We also loved counting all the Volkswagen Beetles along the way.

My parents were the same. They insisted on staying in all those Holiday Inns and Howard Johnson's too. I never understood why. Those little "Mom and Pop" hotels always looked more interesting and MUCH more fun!
 

[David]

Sigh,  No Burma Shave signs in my area.  At least if there were they were all gone by my childhood.   

Hmm,  a four lined rhyme?        Here is a challenge!    Write a Burma Shave jingle with a BBM theme!

14 Hours thru the nights
Red lining it all the way
to see a Cowboy in your sights
The reward will make your day.
     -Burma Shave.

[dot-matrix]

Sigh,  No Burma Shave signs in my area.  At least if there were they were all gone by my childhood.  

Hmm,  a four lined rhyme?        Here is a challenge!    Write a Burma Shave jingle with a BBM theme!

14 Hours thru the nights
Red lining it all the way
to see a Cowboy in your sights
The reward will make your day.
     -Burma Shave.

Good job David!  Anyone else have David's way with words?  Here's some inspiration...

[David In Indy]

"Jack and Ennis
Climbed up a hill
They fell in love
And time stood still
-Burma Shave"

Oh thanks for posting some pictures of those Burma Shave signs. They bring back a lot of memories. God I feel like I'm 8 years old again! 

[mvansand76]

This is wonderful, David, of course I don't know what it is, but you seem to have fond memories of it! I love the things that bring back memories, I wish I could share them with you, but I guess we have Sinterklaas in common huh?

I can really recommend Bill Bryson's book full of US nostalgia: The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America... have you ever read it?

[David In Indy]

This is wonderful, David, of course I don't know what it is, but you seem to have fond memories of it! I love the things that bring back memories, I wish I could share them with you, but I guess we have Sinterklaas in common huh?

I can really recommend Bill Bryson's book full of US nostalgia: The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America... have you ever read it?

Yes. We will always have Sinterklaas! 

I don't think I have read that book Melissa. Thanks for telling me about it. I will see if I can find it. I love books like that!

[David In Indy]

"The tent went up
The boys went down
What happened next
Was the talk of the town
-Burma Shave"

[David In Indy]

"Bacon in the pan
And beans on the grill
But what happened in the tent
Was the biggest thrill
-Burma Shave"

[David In Indy]

"Jack and Ennis
Ran through the creek
Aguirre sat on a horse
And watched them streak.
-Burma Shave"

[David In Indy]

"Jake's a real cutie
And Heath is a hunk
The fact I'll never meet them
Kind of puts me in a funk
-Burma Shave"

[CellarDweller]

"The reunion kiss
made me feel groovy
glad I spent money
to see this movie!

-Burma Shave"

[Sason]

The Brokies share
an unexpected affection
for a move that turned
lives in a new direction