Comments on: Burma-shave signs

Burma-shave signs

billb — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 16:28:29 -0800

Farewell o verse
along the road.
So sad to see
you're out of mode.

By: Pretty_Generic

Pretty_Generic — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 18:06:39 -0800

When the stork Delivers a boy Our whole Darn factory Jumps for joy Burma-Shave

By: yhbc

yhbc — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 18:29:58 -0800

I never saw a Burma-Shave sign myself, but my parents had a book about the signs and the company that I practically memorized. Classic intersection of marketing, history, and imagination. I would love for there to be, somewhere, a set of Burma-Shave signs still standing, but I don't think they're out there anymore. Of course, that's what "they" said about the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker too, so what do they know?

By: teletype1

teletype1 — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 18:44:12 -0800

very cool post... i actually use burma shave shaving soap... one of the byproducts of having really sensitive skin. for all those who haven't tried it, i'd highly recommend it. it's my daily zen activity.

By: billb

billb — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 18:55:09 -0800

The fiftiesweb article mentions a sighting from 1986. See: Fiftiesweb: Burma Shave intro The slogan on them? It's the one at the top of this page.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 19:13:26 -0800

The Hangar Theater in Ithaca, NY, has Burma-shave signs as ads in and around town. Livejournal Love!

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 19:15:51 -0800

I remember seeing Burma Shave signs in the Hill Country in Texas as a kid in the late 60s and early 70s. Probably the first "car game" I ever played on long car trips, even before the one where you count how many different states' license plates you could spot. Nice post.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 19:41:12 -0800

ybbc, I think I have that book. (How many can there be?) I snatched it up at a yard sale at some point. It's fantastic, and contains an appendix with all the known rhymes. I think it would be an act of genius for a present-day company to bring back this marketing strategy. In fact, the more I think about midcentury strategies like this, the hipper they seem. Marketers tear their hair out figuring out how to position products, how to do branding without setting off our cynical, BS-warning bells, how to do product placement and strategic alliance, etc. You know, if they just entertained us with something utterly straightforward, bold, direct and simple like this, it would work. Another thing that would work: picking a really damn strong and simple graphic logo, and painting it on the sides of buildings. BIG. Remember See Rock City? It;s still burned in my brain from childhood car trips 30 years ago.

By: es_de_bah

es_de_bah — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 20:18:10 -0800

never heard of this before at all. thanks!

By: alumshubby

alumshubby — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 05:17:31 -0800

This darn blog of kitsch and rumor Ought to have As much light humor MetaFilter sorry -- it's early for me

By: May Kasahara

May Kasahara — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 05:45:18 -0800

Miko: The DOT in some parts of Florida use this strategy. I've seen the following signs on US 1 heading to the Keys (which is only one lane in both directions between Homestead and Key Largo). They don't rhyme, however: Patience Pays Only 3 Minutes To Passing Zone I also seem to remember commecial Burma Shave-type signs in Central Florida back in the 80's, but I never found out anything about them. I don't think they were original Burma Shave ones, but were by a local business.

By: ubersturm

ubersturm — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 11:30:52 -0800

Do the links above cover all the Burma Shave rhymes? Ever since I read American Gods, I've been wondering whether the two rhymes quoted in it were real Burma Shave ones, or verses made up by Gaiman. Didn't see them in the links, though. I think they went something like this: Life is hard It's toil and trouble Keep your jawline Free from stubble Burma Shave and He undertook To overtake The road was on a bend Now the undertaker Is his only friend Burma Shave

By: Miko

Miko — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 15:03:40 -0800

Ubersturm: Those are not listed in the appendix of my book. However, they are very close facsimiles to some actual verse. The first would seem to be based on: Life is Sweet But oh how bitter! To love a gal And then not git 'er Burma-Shave Or, Within this vale Of toil and sin Your head grows bald But not your chin Burma Shave The second, in particular, matches many others whose theme is road safety. Those verses increase drastically through the 1940s, reflecting the increasing number of cars on the road. From the 20s to the late 30s, the rhymes almost exclusively focus on three things: Sucess with ladies, the low price of Burma-Shave, and its superiority over substitutes. After 1940 almost a third of them are about road safety -- passing, not driving drunk, keeping within the speed limit, paying attention. Here's one: Don't pass cars On curve or hill If cops don't get you Morticians will Burma-Shave

By: Balisong

Balisong — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 17:32:23 -0800

When you kiss your honey And your nose is really runny You might think it's funny But it's snot Shaved-Brahma

By: Jon Mitchell

Jon Mitchell — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 18:04:59 -0800

If you are bad, Or misbehave, your uppance will come: Karma-Shave.

By: yhbc

yhbc — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 18:56:03 -0800

Miko: I believe the book I remember is The Verse By the Side of the Road, by Frank Rowsome, Jr. I may pick up a copy.

By: Miko

Miko — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 19:27:42 -0800

That's the one I have too, though the cover is different.

By: scratch

scratch — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 07:32:32 -0800

Someone here once posted a Burma-esque invocation that is guaranteed to get you a parking spot: Space is big Space is dark It's hard to find A place to park ...and as you say "park," a spot will magically appear. This is all IIRC. It delights me no end.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 13:16:44 -0800

Don't know if this is a real one and I'm much too lazy to search through all the links, but I see this on my Freaky Friday bike ride every Friday. It's in Burlington County, NJ. Today's kids Sure missed a treat No moonlight rides In a rumble seat Wonder how many people that pass it even know what a rumble seat is?

By: redneck_zionist

redneck_zionist — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 15:06:51 -0800

A whiskery kiss For the one You adore May not make her mad But her face will be sore Burma-Shave