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

Please, Mrs. Avery

I've 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 packing

She's gon' be leaving today

Sylvia's mother

Says Sylvia's marrying

A fella 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

Please, Mrs. Avery

I've 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 hurrying

She's catching the nine o'clock train

Sylvia's mother

Says, take your umbrella

'Cause, Sylvia, 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've 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