Sylvia's mother says Sylvia is busy Too busy to come to the phone Sylvia's mother says Sylvia is tryin' To start a new life of her own Sylvia's mother says Sylvia is happy "So why don't you leave her alone?" 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 wanna tell her goodbye Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's packin' She's gonna be leavin' today Sylvia's mother says Sylvia is marrying A fella down Galveston way And Sylvia's mother says, "Please don't say nothing" "To make her start cryin' and stay" And the operator says 40 cents more For the next three minutes Please, Mrs. Avery, I just got to 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 9 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 calling" "And, sir, won't you call back again" And the operator says 40 cents more For the next three minutes Please, Mrs. Avery, I just got to 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