[«Sylvia's Mother», Dr. Hook]

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 a while
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 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 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 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?"

Aqui fica uma versão bera e sibilante, ou seja, igual àquela que eu ouvia vezes sem conta em casa da avó, aos 10, 11, 12 anos, numa cassete pirata gravada pelo pai. Também tinha esta (descubro agora que é do Bob Dylan) e o «Wild World» do Cat Stevens, mais uns tangos malucos com tiroteios, entre outras. Os dias de Agosto eram ocupados com os carreiros da rega, as escondidas nas "tendas" de feijão verde, as aventuras no rio quase seco, as comédias românticas de cordel e esta cassete. Não fazia ideia que isto era o que estava por trás desta canção lamechas.