Verse By the Side of the Road: Story of Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles by Frank Rowsome, Jr.

An excerpt from the book Verse By the Side of the Road: The Story of Burma-Shave Signs by Frank Rowsome, Jr. with examples of these classic advertisements.

THE VERSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD: THE STORY OF THE BURMA-SHAVE SIGNS AND JINGLES. By Frank Rowsome, Jr., drawings by Carl Rose. Brattleboro, Vt.: Stephen Greene Press, 1965.

About the book: The history of an American tradition--the Burma-Shave roadside ad campaign, which began in 1927. The book's best feature is a complete listing of 600 Burma-Shave jingles that lined America's highways. Very enjoyable reading.

From the book:

1930 DOES YOUR HUSBAND

MISBEHAVE

GRUNT AND GRUMBLE

RANT AND RAVE

SHOOT THE BRUTE SOME

BURMA-SHAVE

1930 HINKY DINKY

PARLEY VOO

CHEER UP FACE

THE WAR IS THROUGH

BURMA-SHAVE

1933 HE PLAYED

A SAX

BUT HIS WHISKERS SCRATCHED

HAD NO B.O.

SO SHE LET HIM GO

BURMA-SHAVE

1934 COLLEGE BOYS!

YOUR COURAGE MUSTER

SHAVE OFF

THAT FUZZY

COOKIE DUSTER

BURMA-SHAVE

1935 HIS FACE WAS SMOOTH

AND COOL AS ICE

AND OH LOUISE!

HE SMELLED

SO NICE

BURMA-SHAVE

1935 YOU KNOW

YOUR ONIONS

LETTUCE SUPPOSE

THIS BEETS 'EM ALL

DON'T TURNIP YOUR NOSE

BURMA-SHAVE

1936 COOTIES LOVE

BEWHISKERED PLACES

CUTIES LOVE THE

SMOOTHEST FACES

SHAVED BY

BURMA-SHAVE

1938 DON'T TAKE

A CURVE

AT 60 PER

WE HATE TO LOSE

A CUSTOMER

BURMA-SHAVE

1939 PAST

SCHOOLHOUSES

TAKE IT SLOW

LET THE LITTLE

SHAVERS GROW

BURMA-SHAVE

1940 DON'T STICK

YOUR ELBOW

OUT SO FAR

IT MIGHT GO HOME

IN ANOTHER CAR

BURMA-SHAVE

1940 SHE KISSED

THE HAIRBRUSH

BY MISTAKE

SHE THOUGHT IT WAS

HER HUSBAND JAKE

BURMA-SHAVE

1942 PA ACTED

SO TICKLED

MA THOT

HE WAS PICKLED

HE'D JUST TRIED

BURMA-SHAVE

1947 THAT SHE

COULD COOK

HE HAD HIS DOUBTS

UNTIL SHE CREAMED

HIS BRISTLE SPROUTS WITH

BURMA-SHAVE

1950 THE WHALE

PUT JONAH

DOWN THE HATCH

BUT COUGHED HIM UP

BECAUSE HE SCRATCHED

BURMA-SHAVE

1951 I KNOW

HE'S A WOLF

SAID RIDING HOOD

BUT GRANDMA DEAR,

HE SMELLS SO GOOD

BURMA-SHAVE

1959 SAID FARMER BROWN

WHO'S BALD

ON TOP

WISH I COULD

ROTATE THE CROP

BURMA-SHAVE