INTRO: [A] [A]

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

CHORUS:
[D] Please Mrs Avery I've [A] just got to talk to her
[E] I'll only keep her a-[A]-while
[D] Please Mrs Avery I just [A] want to tell her, good-[E]-bye [E]

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

REPEAT CHORUS:

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

REPEAT CHORUS:

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