One nostalgic item that traditional shavers like to bring up is Burma-Shave (even though Burma-Shave was a brushless shave cream!), with their whimsical signs. I recently found a website that lists all the Burma-Shave jingles that were posted by the side of roads. Here are some of my favorites.
Does your husband
Misbehave
Grunt and grumble
Rant and rave
Shoot the brute some
Burma-Shave
Are your whiskers
When you wake
Tougher than
A two-bit steak?
Try
Burma-Shave
Hinky dinky
Parley voo
Cheer up the face
The war
Is thru
Burma-Shave
No matter how
You slice it
It’s still your face
Be humane
Use
Burma-Shave
Golfers!
If fewer strokes
Are what you crave
You’re out of the rough
With
Burma-Shave
Tho tough
And rough
From wind and wave
Your cheek grows sleek
With
Burma-Shave
Listen shavers
Knock on wood
When offered
Something
“Just as good”
Burma-Shave
A shave
That’s real
No cuts to heal
A soothing
Velvet after-feel
Burma-Shave
The cannoneers
With hairy ears
On wiry whiskers
Used tin shears
Until they found
Burma-Shave
He played
A sax
Had no B.O.
But his whiskers scratched
So she let him go
Burma-Shave
Ruddy cheeks
And face
Of tan
Neatly shaven
What a man!
Burma-Shave
He had the ring
He had the flat
But she felt his chin
And that
Was that
Burma-Shave
If you think
She likes
Your bristles
Walk bare-footed
Through some thistles
Burma-Shave
You know
Your onions
Lettuce suppose
This beets ’em all
Don’t turnip your nose
Burma-Shave
Every
Sheba
Wants a sheik
Strong of muscle
Smooth of cheek
Burma-Shave
Henry the Eighth
Prince of friskers
Lost five wives
But kept
His whiskers
Burma-Shave
Sharpest blade
Ever made
Comfort speed
Guaranteed
15 for 25 cents
Burma-Shave Blades (note from Mantic59: I didn’t know Burma-Shave sold blades! Turns out they made a toothbrush powder, too.)
Prickly pears
Are picked
For pickles
No peach picks
A face that prickles
Burma-Shave
Can’t shave daily?
Tender hide?
Now be honest
Have you
Tried
Burma-Shave
Many a wolf
Is never let in
Because of the hair
On his
Chinny-chin-chin
Burma-Shave
Hat and tie
Smart and clean
Space between
Spoiled the scene
He should use
Burma-Shave
Said one whisker
To another
Can’t get tough
With this stuff
Brother
Burma-Shave
A whiskery kiss
For the one
You adore
May not make her mad
But her face will be sore
Burma-Shave
Missin’
Kissin’?
Perhaps your thrush
Can’t get thru
The underbrush–try
Burma-Shave
We can’t
Provide you
With a date
But we do supply
The best darn bait
Burma-Shave
The wolf
Is shaved
So neat and trim
Red Riding Hood
Is chasing him
Burma-Shave
We’re widely read
And often quoted
But it’s shaves
Not signs
For which we’re noted
Burma-Shave
If Crusoe’d
Kept his chin
More tidy
He might have found
A lady Friday
Burma-Shave
The monkey took
One look at Jim
And threw the peanuts
Back at him
He needed
Burma-Shave
Take a look at the website and if you see one you like post it in the comments!
I recall reading a book – “Verse by the Side of the Road” – the story & collection of all of the Burma-Shave signs
I read that as well, Rick. Very cool.
My family’s vacations in the 60’s were driving trips from Niagara Falls to all the hot spots in Ohio and Pennsylvania (Steubenville, Lorraine, Cheswick, Monessen, etc) to visit relatives. As a kid, those Burma Shave signs were my best way to deal with the boredom.
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