Sylvias Mother

Sylvia's Mother - 1972  #5 on Billboard Charts

This classic Rock song was Shel Silverstein's attempt to rekindle a failed relationship with young Sylvia Pandolfi. When Shel called her it was Sylvia's mother Louisa, renamed as Mrs. Avery who answered, only to announce that their love was to be no more.

Shel actually called up Sylvia for old times sake some 25 years later and Mrs. Avery actually answered and Sylvia was actually visiting her at the time. (There's a song about it by The Men They Couldn't Hang called Mrs. Avery.)

Here is a nice version of Sylvia's Mother from Doctor Hook on Shel Silverstein's houseboat.

 

Lyrics for Sylvia's Mother

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's busy, too busy to come to the phone
Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's trying, to start a new life of her own
Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's happy, so why don't you leave her alone
And the operator says Forty cents more, for the next three minutes

CHORUS:
Please Mrs. Avery I just got to talk to her
I'll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery I just want to tell her
Goodbye

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's packing, she's going be leaving today
Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's marrying, a fellow down Galveston-Way
Sylvia's mother says Please don't say nothing, to make her start crying and stay
And the operator says Forty cents more, for the next three minutes

CHORUS

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's hurrying, she's catching the nine o'clock train
Sylvia's mother says Take your umbrella, cause Sylvia it's starting to rain
And Sylvia's mother says Thank you for calling and sir won't you come back again
And the operator says Forty cents more, for the next three minutes

CHORUS

Tell her goodbye
Please, tell her goodbye
Goodbye