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 just gotta talk to her
I'll only keep her awhile
Please, Mrs. Avery
I just wanna 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 nothing
To make her start crying 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 awhile
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 Sylvie, it's starting to rain
And Sylvia's mother says thank you for calling
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