"Nature's way of telling you" (1917); "Jesus saves, but Moses invests" (1966)

[Wilson Gray]

I remember hearing "Pain is nature's way of telling you to slow down" a
zillion times a day on the radio, back in the '40's. It was the slogan
for some patent medicine or other of the day, Dr. Bengué's Ointment, I
think it was, but I can't recall for certain. This ointment is, of
course, the same patent medicine still being sold to this day as
"Ben-Gay."

According to a book of graffiti that I once read - I can't recall
whether it was in the late '50's or the early '60's - the "death"
version began life as a graffito parodying the "pain" slogan. This same
book claimed that "Moses invests" was a grafitto written in response to
a "Jesus saves" graffito. The book also contained the following:

1) My mother made me a homosexual
2) If I get her the material, will she make me one, too?

-Wilson Gray

"Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down
On Jan 27, 2005, at 3:20 AM, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      "Nature's way of telling you" (1917); "Jesus saves, but
> Moses
>               invests" (1966)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> From the OXFORD DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS, pg. 669:
> ...
> 11. [Death is] nature's way of telling you to slow down.
> life insurance proverb, in Newsweek 25 April 1960.
> ...
> 12 The Devil is in the details.
> late 20th century saying
> ...
> ...
> ...
> Who sang a song with this "nature's way of telling you" lyric?
> ...
> ...
> (PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
> ...
> _Display  Ad 25 -- No Title_
> (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
> index=0&did=330602592&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=
> 309&VName=HNP&TS=1106812
> 688&clientId=65882)
> The Los Angeles Times (1886-Current  File). May 1, 1917. p. I6 (1 page)
> ...
> _distress after eating_
> Nature's way of telling you that your digestion is out of order.
> (...)
> Dr. Williams Pink Pills for Pale People
> ...
> ...
> _Display  Ad 31 -- No Title_
> (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
> index=0&did=480962502&SrchMode=1&sid=4&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=
> 309&VName=HNP&TS=1106813
> 028&clientId=65882)
> Chicago Daily Tribune  (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Nov 13, 1930. p. 33
> (1
> page)
> ...
> When you feel any of the every-day occurences of sour stomach, sick
> headache, heartburn, biliousness, it is nature's way of telling you
> there's  something
> wrong.
> (...)
> MILNESIA WAFERS
> ...
> ...
> _Graffiti  To Print_
> (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
> index=0&did=82582599&SrchMode=1&sid=6&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=3
> 09&VName=HNP&TS=1106813236&clien
> tId=65882)
> By JACOB BRACKMAN. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.:
> Feb
> 12,  1967. p. 259 (2 pages)
> First page:
> ,,,e.g., DEATH IS NATURE'S WAY OF TELLING YOU TO SLOW DOWN.
> Second page:
> "Jesus Saves" bulletins rarely escape defacement. The two most common
> subscripts: PLAID STAMPS and BUT MOSES INVESTS.
> ...
> ...
> JESUS SAVES + MOSES INVESTS--2,400 Google hits, 1,210 Google Groups
> hits
> ...
> ...
> (NEWSPAPERARCHIVE)
> ...
>      _Playground Daily News _
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=thiGuD36VKiKID/
> 6NLMW2kQ7QBcVsKGhXZvXpAhGlDHKP8ZE3bvS0UIF+CsZYmrz)  Thursday,
> October 13, 1966 _Fort Walton Beach,_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=city:
> fort_walton_beach+jesus+saves+and+moses+invests)  _Florida_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=state:
> florida+jesus+saves+a
> nd+moses+invests)
> ...on flat at 20th CenturyFox:  ''JESUS SAVES. MOSES INVESTS Lee Marvin
> turned.....tones. Instead it added to the mvsterv AND international
> intrigue, AND
> ;ami IOH..
>
> ...
> _Port Arthur News _
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=MSL63G2EslCKID/
> 6NLMW2q96Cko3h3jZSP2dDFM8I/P6Axh5ozcn+UIF+CsZYmrz)  Thursday, November
> 03, 1966 _Port Arthur,_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=city:
> port_arthur+jesus+saves+and+moses+invests)  _Texas_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=state:
> texas+jesus+saves+and+moses+invests)
> ...on a fiat at 20th  CenturyFox: "JESUS SAVES. MOSES INVESTS" Lee
> Marvin
> turned.....where a burglar had broken awindow AND attempted  to steal
> from a
> vending..
>