Sylvia's Mother (1972) 3/23/20

The story you're about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

In 1964, songwriter/author/cartoonist Shel Silverstein was going through a messy breakup. He tried to call his girlfriend to say one last goodbye, but her mother wouldn't let him talk to her. Not only that, she told Shel that her daughter was marrying someone else!

Ouch. But Shel eventually got the last laugh.

In 1972, he wrote a song about it...and an up-and-coming group made it their first single release.

Thanks to Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, "Sylvia's Mother" became a Top 10 hit in 15 countries--including #1 in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa. It hit #2 in Canada, and #5 in the U.S.

Chart positions aside, what makes "Sylvia';s Mother" a "Great Song of the 70s" is it's mix of desperation and dark comedy--something Shel Silverstein was known for.

Dr. Hook fans certainly understood and appreciated the mix. In concerts, when the group would sing the lyric: "..and the operator said 40 cents more for the next 3 minutes please," people would throw coins at the stage!

TRIVIA: The REAL last name of Sylvia (and her Mother) was Pandolfi...not Avery...and mom's name was Louisa.

TRIVIA #2: Dr. Hook later scored a HUGE hit with another Silverstein song: "Cover of the Rolling Stone."