Sylvia's Mother

"Sylvia's Mother", a 1972 single by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, was the group's first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein and produced by Ron Haffkine, and was highly successful in the United States, reaching number five on the Billboard singles chart (tied with "Sexy Eyes" from the album Sometimes You Win for the band's best performing song),^[1] as well as number two in the United Kingdom. It spent three weeks at number one on the Australian music charts,^[2] making it the 15th-ranked single in Australia for 1972; and also reached number one in South Africa, where it was the third-ranked song for the year, and in New Zealand. The song spent seven consecutive weeks at number one in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart.^[3] It appeared on the group's first album, Doctor Hook.

"Sylvia's Mother"
Single by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
from the album Dr. Hook
B-side	"Makin' It Natural"
Released	March 1972
Genre	Country rock, pop
Length	3:50
Label	Columbia Records
Songwriter(s)	Shel Silverstein
Producer(s)	Ron Haffkine
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show singles chronology
"Last Morning" (1971) "Sylvia's Mother" (1972) "Carry Me, Carrie" (1972)

Song background

"Sylvia's Mother" is autobiographical, with songwriter Shel Silverstein drawing upon his unsuccessful attempt to revive a failed relationship. Silverstein had been in love with a woman named Sylvia Pandolfi. She later became engaged to another man and ended up as a museum curator at the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil in Mexico City. ^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]} Desperate to continue the relationship, Silverstein called Pandolfi's mother, Louisa, but she told him the love had ended.^[10]

Cash Box said " 'T ain't easy to render unto Silverstein what is Shel's, but this group knows the secret to top-40 success on this happy/sad tune, bound to be a huge request and sales item."^[11]

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1972) Peak position Australian Kent Music Report[12] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 14 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 38 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] 2 Denmark Top 10[16] 3 Germany (GfK)[17] 9 Ireland (IRMA)[18] 1 Italian Singles Chart 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 3 New Zealand Singles Chart 1 Norway (VG-lista)[20] 5 South African Singles Chart 1 Swedish Singles Chart 9 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 3 UK Singles (OCC)[22] 2 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[23] 5 U.S. Cash Box Top 100[24] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1972) Rank Australian Kent Music Report 15 Belgian VRT Top 30 90 Canada RPM 23 German Media Control Charts 48 Italian Singles Chart 22 Netherlands 33 South African Singles Chart 3 UK 20 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 64 U.S. Cash Box [25] 65

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Ireland	—	50,000[26]
United States (RIAA)[27]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Bobby Bare cover

"Sylvia's Mother"
Single by Bobby Bare
B-side	"Music City U.S.A."
Released	1972
Recorded	June 15, 1972 Mercury Custom Recording Studio Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Country
Length	3:52 3:39 (7" version)
Label	Mercury Records 73317
Songwriter(s)	Shel Silverstein
Producer(s)	Jerry Kennedy
Bobby Bare singles chronology
"What Am I Gonna Do" (1972) "Sylvia's Mother" (1972) "I Hate Goodbyes" (1973)

In 1972, about the same time the Dr. Hook version was on the chart, country singer Bobby Bare recorded a cover version. Bare's version became a hit, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that October.^{[citation needed]}