Anytime I hear the song “Sylvia’s Mother” by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, it ends up stuck in my head for some time as an earworm. It is one of those songs I have heard many times since its release in 1975, but I never thought too much about it even though it is an unusual song. So, where did “Sylvia’s Mother” come from?
The Song
In “Sylvia’s Mother,” the singer calls a former lover but ends up speaking to her mother. Sylvia’s mother tells the man that her daughter is leaving town to marry another man. She tells the man not to say anything to Sylvia, but as the song continues the singer realizes that Sylvia is there with her mother, preparing to leave. But apparently Sylvia does not know it is him on the phone.
The power of the song largely comes from the aching vocal provided by Dr. Hook singer Dennis Locorriere as the singer begs with Sylvia’s mother: “Please Mrs. Avery, I’ve just got to talk to her/ I’ll only keep her a while.”
The Songwriter and the Hit Recording of “Sylvia’s Mother”
One of the interesting things about “Sylvia’s Mother” is that it was written by Shel Silverstein, which helps explain why the song does not sound like most other songs. Silverstein is noted for writing Johnny Cash songs like “A Boy Named Sue” and “25 Minutes to Go.” Perhaps he is even more well known for his drawings, poetry, and books, such as The Giving Tree.
“Sylvia’s Mother” was not the only song that Silverstein wrote for Dr. Hook. At the time Silverstein gave the band “Sylvia’s Mother,” Silverstein had already provided several songs to the band. But when the band was looking for a potential single to add to their first album, Silverstein offered them a new song, “Sylvia’s Mother.”
“Sylvia’s Mother” initially bombed as a single when Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show released the self-titled album
This time the song was a hit. Silverstein eventually provided another hit to the band in 1973 with “Cover of the Rolling Stone.”
The True Story Behind “Sylvia’s Mother”
Another interesting fact about “Sylvia’s Mother” is that Silverstein based it upon a true story from his own life. Silverstein had a relationship with a woman named Sylvia Pandolfi, but like many relationships, this one ended.
Later, Silverstein, still in love, called her, but Pandolfi told him she was preparing to fly to Mexico to marry another man. The next day, Silverstein called again, talking to Sylvia’s mother, who reaffirmed to the distraught man that his relationship was finished.
The following short video tells the real story behind “Sylvia’s Mother,” featuring both the real “Sylvia” and her mother. Arjan Vlakveld directed a short documentary on the tale, although it is unclear if the video from Top 2000 a gogo below is the same one.
Some sources, like Wikipedia, spell the name of the real woman as “Silvia,” but this video and other sources indicate her name was spelled the same way as in the song, “Sylvia.”
The lead singer of “Sylvia’s Mother” Dennis Locorriere eventually saw a video of the story behind the song. While he knew Silverstein wrote the song based on a true story, seeing the video left him “speechless.” He eventually met the real Sylvia.
Other Versions of “Sylvia’s Mother”
Other performers also recorded “Sylvia’s Mother.” Around the same time as Dr. Hook’s version was released, Bobby Bare recorded a country version of the song that also was a hit. In many ways, the song’s story and heartbreak theme fits the country genre like a glove.
Other artists have performed the song live. For example, Billy Bob Thornton has performed a faster version of “Sylvia’s Mother” live with the Boxmasters.
Bon Jovi has covered “Sylvia’s Mother” in concert. This 2003 performance appeared on the Bon Jovi video This Left Feels Right Live (2004). In the performance, Bon Jovi works to recapture the aching pain of the Dr. Hook version.
The Refreshments, a band from Sweden, included a cover of “Sylvia’s Mother” on their 2016 album Straight Up.
The song also featured prominently in the second season of the TV series Fargo. “Sylvia’s Mother” played on the radio during the death of one of the characters.
A Sequel Song: “Mrs. Avery”
Finally, one may wonder whatever happened to the singer and Sylvia’s mother. The British band, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, also wondered what happened to the singer in the song. So, they released a new song called “Mrs. Avery.”
In their sequel, The Men They Couldn’t Hang tell the story of the singer calling Mrs. Avery years later after he has been married and divorced. The song appeared on the band’s 2009 album, Devil on the Wind.
Shel Silverstein
The songwriter of “Sylvia’s Mother,” Shel Silverstein, had a reputation as a ladies’ man throughout his life. But one of his most-remembered contributions to the world is this song about a lonely man’s heartbreak.
Silverstein eventually married another woman, Susan Hastings. The two had a daughter. Silverstein and Hastings divorced and then she died in 1975, not long after the success of “Sylvia’s Mother.” Although Silverstein had another child in 1983, he never married again.
Finally, you may see Silverstein relaxing and playing the harmonica in this video of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show on his houseboat playing . . . “Sylvia’s Mother.” (Silverstein appears around the 2:50 mark.)
And that is the story behind the song.
What is your favorite Shel Silverstein song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)