Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for March 06, 2025

But maybe probably also younger than 65.

Who can it be now?

What’s really bad is when you remember them and your music was considered classic at the time.

And there’s Rat, Down Under the sign.

Imagine a sign saying Partridge Family Ahead? Young folks would slow down to make sure they didn’t hit any birds.

I’ll stick with Men Without Hats, thank you very much.

I just glad I’m not young. American youth have to sweep the garbage out of the republican party. I did my time in VN and I’m not up to it anymore!

Hmm… Not sure who. Day after day it reappears… Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear, ghosts appear and fade away. Probably it’s a mistake.

Now, be good Johnny and eat your breakfast.

And if you know what the fourth sign would have said, had there been one, then you are unspeakably ancient.

Fourth panel should have a Burma Shave sign!

Remember that from the worst period of my life.

It’s just overkill

Traffic – Dear Mr. Fantasy

I remember Cannibal and the Head Hunter, Question Mark and the Mysterians, The Strawberry Alarm Clock, Elephants Memory and the Blues Magoos, but it seems like a long time ago and hasn’t necessarily gone by all that quickly.

The Zombis, The Loving Spoonful, The Fifth Dimension, The Jackson Five, and Bobby Sherman.

Burmashave. (I had older parents before that was a thing.)

The last sign will be a traffic hazard as it takes too long to read in passing – and in too small a print for those who are targeted.

Next-gen warning signs.

And the older you get, the faster the time goes by!

I remember the Drifters, the Four Seasons, Little Peggy March, Petula Clark, I had one of the first transistor radios!

No Sign of yesterday, It’s A Mistake

“Signs, signs, everywhere a sign” – what, I’m over 60

They were from the Land down under. With big women. And Olivia. And loose abbos.

Sign is appropriate, maybe they are “Down Under”!

Or, possibly, are from Australia.

It’s a Mistake.

Ghosts appear and fade away….

Over 50? At 50 I was in full swing enjoying my work and my family. We had an ice skating party for my 50th. Now in my 60s, while I do take time to reflect on the past, I’m still too engaged in my work and family (and friends) to wonder how it all went by so fast.

One of the members toured with the Ringo Starr All Star band. It was most excellent!

And if you know that, it’s time for your colonoscopy.

Burma Shave

Burma Shave!

Let me know if Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello ring a bell.

Didn’t need the reminder, thanks.

These days it would need to be “Persons at Work” to be “woke”.

This comic spoke to me. Well done!

Kind of ironic that I thought of that band even before reading the second panel.

Even worse. I was in Australia when they debuted in like 1977.

Never saw MAW live, but I’ve seen Mr Hay a few times solo. Amazing guitar player and his stories are fascinating. And of course the songs…✌️

You missed the last sign, Stephan. You know, the one that says “Burma Shave”.

Hey I remember The Ink Spots.

I’m really old! I go back to Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, The Big Bopper, Elvis, and the Everly Brothers – when American Bandstand was just Philidelphia Bandstand!

If you also know that that sign was also a film directed by Emilio Estevez and starring him and Charlie Sheen, well…..Dan aka…ps you just might be an “old person….”

I’m old enough that it didn’t remind me of a band, but of the small red Burma Shave signs of an earlier generation. One example from dozens: [Heavens newest] [Neophyte] [Signaled left] [Then turned right.] [Burma Shave.]

Hit the road, Pig.

I remember that band!

Was (Not Was)

I had an argument with a co-worker back in the mid-eighties about which band would still be played on the radio in 50 years, Men At Work or The Police. The answer turned out to be both, but nobody listens to the radio anymore, so it doesn’t matter.

They come from a land down under.

Then they had to change the signs to Men Working.

Now the signs say Honk If You See The Supervisor Coming…

Burma Shave. (Going even further back)

“All I wish is to be alone. Go away, don’t you invade my home”. Rat has an earworm.

So true.

Some signs are rather unbeloved reminders, Rat.

I know the names of many bands that I never intentionally listened to but that were around in the 60s and later. A lot of their tunes sound familiar when I hear them even if I don’t know which group did which number. And of course, there were some that I actually liked, and I do know who did what.

The only current “artists” that I know of are the ones who are so much in the news that it would take an effort not to have heard of them. Yes, consarn it, I’m old.

Berma Shave

What are all of these groups people are mentioning. I’ve never heard of them, so they can’t be very good. Now, the Kingston Trio, they were good.

From Burma Shave to New Wave . . . it’s still rock and roll to me!

I did not know that. I guess I’m not over 50 wondering where all the years went.

It seems like (almost) everyone knows the Burma Shave reference, indicating a successful advertising campaign. However, I don’t know anyone who ever actually USED Burma Shave!

Wait, I’m over fifty?!?! Wow.

Men At Work became popular after I graduated from College and was at work.

…He just smiled, and gave me a Vegemite – Sandwich … :)

If you are more than 50 years old, you were in high school during the `70s. Actually, I am way more than 50 and I don’t remember a band named “Men At Work” or rather, I know the name, but have no idea what any of their songs were.If you know this band you are probably between 45 and 55 years old.

Couldn’t read the last sign. Windows too smokey on my fried-out kombi, man.

Dang I feel real old now

Inside every old person is a young person screaming, “What the heck happened!?” Can confirm.

Burma Shave

I’m not quite 50 yet and I remember them. There may be millennials who know about them, you know.

yes, and I want to go back!

I don’t remember Men at Work. I do remember the Supremes, Bill Haley and the Comets, the Beach Boys. I bet my memories are better than yours.

Sorry, bub, but I was in my 40s during the 80s, clawing my way up the corporate ladder.

For the younger generation, it would be ‘Snowflakes whining’

By that time music was becoming formulaic and less original, which was the wave of the future

ha ha ha

Oh, thanks. Now I’m gonna have “Overkill” stuck in my head. Thanks for the earworm, Stephan.

I am a kid and I know that band

Eh, I don’t know. Now that kids get their music from streaming services with enormous libraries and algorithms that tailor recommendations to their individual tastes, it’s no harder for them to find Men at Work, Benny Goodman, or Antonio Vivaldi than it is for them to find Billie Eilish. Granted, contemporary artists are the beneficiaries of active campaigns to promote their music, but that matters a lot less than it would if the kids were listening to the radio, watching MTV, or hanging out in record stores.

People just love to play with words

last sign: “Burma Shave”!

They come from a land down under…

Crickets.