27 January 2024

"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?'

[refrain]
And the operator says 40 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 want to tell her goodbye

Sylvia's mother says 'Sylvia's packing.  She's gonna be leaving today.'
Sylvia's mother says 'Sylvia's marrying a fella down Galveston way.'
Sylvia's mother says 'Please don't say nothin' to make her start cryin' and stay.'

[refrain]

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 said, "Thank you for calling, and, sir, won't you call back again?"
Classic "golden oldie" from 1972 by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.  Lyrics by Shel Silverstein, who is perhaps best known for his poetry and cartoons, but he also wrote the lyrics for many country-western songs.

Posted because after enjoying Fargo season 5, I decided to binge-watch season 2, and this song was featured in the background.

2 comments:

  1. Maybe you can add "Operator", sung by Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, performed by the Grateful Dead to the list of 'operator' songs? And "Memphis, Tennessee" by Chuck Berry?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Plus Garth Brooks "Callin' Baton Rouge", but most importantly, Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman".

    Meanwhile, reread/listen to the song and think about it from the point of view of a young woman. It's not such a great song. A lot of Shel Silverstein is creepy from a woman's point of view.

    ReplyDelete

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