Story Behind The Song

My co-writer was a newlywed at the time. She was "complaining" about her new husband. She said that, sometimes, she just wanted to send him home. Thus, "mailed him home to mama."

Song Description

Newlywed wife discovers husband prefers his mama's way of doing most everything so she puts him in a box and mails him home to her. When the box got there, his mama refused it and sent it back. When it got there, the wife refused it and sent it back. This is analogous to Charlie's fate in "The MTA" by the Kingston Trio from the 1960s.

Lyrics

VERSE
She said he was so good lookin,' so well dressed
He was her guy; she felt blessed
They got married, moved out west to build their own love nest
One day he had a food request; could she please cook a chicken breast?
He took a bite, put it to the test; said mama sure fried chicken best

PRE-CHORUS
Most everything she did, his mama did better
And since he wouldn't fit inside a letter

First CHORUS
She just put him in a box, mailed him home to mama
She packed his clothes and his dirty socks
And his fuzzy pink giraffe
She had to smile, she had to laugh
He was playin' with his little toy blocks
Yeah, she put him in a box, mailed him home to mama

VERSE
She called the post office: "Take the box away."
Called his mama: "Junior's on his way.
I sent him to you fourth-class freight.
Hope you won't have too long to wait."

Repeat PRE-CHORUS

Repeat First CHORUS

BRIDGE
When the box got to mama, she was not amused
Slapped on a sticker: "Box Refused."

Second CHORUS (2x)
Now he's somewhere in a box on a postal fourth-class truck
He's got lots of clothes and dirty socks and a yellow plastic duck
He had it good, he had it great, but now he's out of luck
She (just) put him back on the truck, mailed him right back to mama

TAG
She just put him in a brand-new box
Mailed him right back to mama
That's right...

Words & Music by Don Tomlinson & Suzanne Brown
© 2019 Solid Sterling Music (BMI)
All Rights Reserved.