Sylvia's Mother

(Shel Silverstein)

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's busy, too busy to come to the phone

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's tryin' 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

Please Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,

I'll only keep her a while

Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell her goodbye

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's packin' she's gonna be leavin' today

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's marryin' a fella down Galveston way

Sylvia's mother says please don't say nothin' to make her start cryin' and stay

And the operator says forty cents more for the next three minutes

Please Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,

I'll only keep her a while

Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell her goodbye

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's hurryin' she's catchin' the nine o'clock train

Sylvia's mother says take your umbrella cause Sylvie, it's startin' to rain

And Sylvia's mother says thank you for callin' and sir won't you call back again

And the operator says forty cents more for the next three minutes

Please Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,

I'll only keep her a while

Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell her goodbye

Tell her goodbye...

Please... Tell her goodbye..

(c)1972 Evil Eye Music Inc.