HOF-Feb05

February - 2005

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
      Use Burma Shave

    Remember these? For those who never saw the Burma Shave signs, here is  a quick lesson in our history of the 1930'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 more of the actual signs:

      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

      CAUTIOUS RIDER
      TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
      LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
      AND MORE STEER
      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
      ITS A 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 ITS 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

      And my all time favorite:

      PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
      TAKE IT SLOW
      LET OUR LITTLE
      SHAVERS GROW
      Burma Shave