Key: :[C#] (w: Shel Silverstein)

INTRO: [C#] [C#]

VERSE 1:
[C#] Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's busy, too busy to come to the [G#] phone"
[G#] Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's trying, to start a new life of her [C#] own"
[F#] Sylvia's mother says [C#] "Sylvia's happy, so [G#] why don't you leave her a-[C#]-lone"
And the [G#] operator says: "Forty cents more, for the next three minutes"

CHORUS:
[F#] Please Mrs Avery I've [C#] just got to talk to her
[G#] I'll only keep her a-[C#]-while
[F#] Please Mrs Avery I just [C#] want to tell her, good-[G#]-bye [G#]

VERSE 2:
[C#] Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's packing, she's goin' to be leaving [G#] today"
[G#] Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's marrying, a fellow down Galveston [C#] way"
[F#] Sylvia's mother says [C#] "Please don't say nothing, to [G#] make her start crying and [C#] stay"
And the [G#] operator says "Forty cents more, for the next three minutes"

REPEAT CHORUS:

VERSE 3:
[C#] Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's hurrying, she's catching the nine o'clock [G#] train"
[G#] Sylvia's mother says "Take your umbrella, cause Sylvia it's starting to [C#] rain"
And [F#] Sylvia's mother says [C#] "Thank you for calling, and sir [G#] won't you call back a-[C#]-gain"
And the [G#] operator says "Forty cents more, for the next three minutes"

REPEAT CHORUS:

OUTRO:
Tell her good-[G#]-bye, please, tell her good-[G#]-bye