About The Song
In July 1972 Bobby Bare recorded “Sylvia’s Mother” at a Mercury Records session in Nashville, cutting the track on June 15 under producer Jerry Kennedy. The two-minute-and-fifty-second cover was released as a single in early August under catalog number 73317, with “Music City U.S.A.” on the B-side. It arrived just months after Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show had taken the original Shel Silverstein composition to number five on the Billboard Hot 100. Bare’s version became his final major hit during his Mercury tenure and marked the beginning of a long, fruitful relationship with Silverstein’s songwriting.
Shel Silverstein had written the song as a bittersweet phone-call narrative about a man desperately trying to reach his ex-girlfriend Sylvia, only to be stalled by her protective mother. The lyrics unfold like a one-sided conversation, with the singer pleading for just a moment of Sylvia’s time while the mother politely but firmly blocks him. Silverstein’s clever wordplay and the song’s sing-along chorus turned what could have been pure melancholy into something both humorous and heartbreaking, qualities that appealed to Bare’s storytelling instincts.
Bare delivered the performance with his trademark warm, conversational baritone and relaxed phrasing. His easygoing delivery made the frantic phone call feel like a late-night confession rather than high drama. The arrangement kept things straightforward and country-flavored, featuring steady rhythm guitar, understated steel, and a backing vocal group that echoed the original’s sing-along spirit without copying it note for note. Kennedy’s production let Bare’s natural charm carry the emotional weight, turning the pop hit into a believable country tale.
Released while Dr. Hook’s version was still climbing the pop charts, Bare’s single climbed the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and reached number twelve that October. It spent several weeks on the national survey and earned steady airplay on country stations eager for a more traditional take on the contemporary story song. The success proved Bare could successfully interpret outside material that bridged pop and country, and it gave him one last strong Mercury hit before he moved to RCA the following year.
The recording foreshadowed Bare’s landmark 1973 double album *Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies*, which was built almost entirely around Silverstein compositions. “Sylvia’s Mother” became the first of many Silverstein-penned tracks Bare would champion, including future hits such as “Marie Laveau,” “The Winner,” and “Daddy What If.” Its inclusion on later compilations, including the 2007 Legacy reissue of the Silverstein album and Bear Family’s comprehensive box set, kept the song alive for new generations of listeners.
Over the decades “Sylvia’s Mother” has remained a favorite among fans of Bare’s Mercury period and his Silverstein collaborations. It has appeared on numerous greatest-hits packages and streaming playlists, where its blend of humor and heartache continues to connect. While it never matched the pop crossover success of the Dr. Hook original, Bare’s version stands as a clear example of how a strong story song can thrive in country music when delivered with the right blend of warmth and wit.
More than fifty years after its release, “Sylvia’s Mother” captures Bobby Bare at a pivotal moment in his career. What began as a quick cover of a current pop hit became the gateway to his most creative and commercially successful period with Shel Silverstein. The track reminds listeners why Bare’s relaxed style and sharp ear for distinctive material made him one of country music’s most reliable interpreters of great songs.
Video
Lyric
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 now
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 got to talk to her
I’ll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just want to tell her
Goodbye
Goodbye”
Sylvia’s mother says, “Sylvia’s packing
She’s gonna be leaving today”
Sylvia’s mother says, “Sylvia’s marrying
A fellow 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 got to talk to her
I’ll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just want to tell her
Goodbye
Goodbye”
Sylvia’s mother says, “Sylvia’s hurrying
Catching the nine o’clock train”
Sylvia’s mother says, “Take your umbrella
‘Cause Sylvia, it’s starting to rain”
Sylvia’s mother says, “Thank you for calling
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 got to talk to her
I’ll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just want to tell her
Goodbye
Goodbye
Please Mrs. Avery, I’ve just got to talk to her