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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 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
 IT'S 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


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