I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas MP3 is a fun, lighthearted Christmas song performed by Gayla Peevey, who was just 10 years old when the track was released in 1953. The song was written by John Rox and became an instant novelty hit. Peevey’s charming voice, along with the song’s playful lyrics, made it a Christmas favorite that continues to be beloved today.
The song features whimsical requests from a child who wishes for a hippopotamus as their perfect Christmas present, rejecting more typical gifts like dolls or toys. Some of the memorable lines include:
“I want a hippopotamus for Christmas,
Only a hippopotamus will do.”
This quirky idea of a hippo under the Christmas tree captured imaginations and sparked a unique campaign in Oklahoma, where Peevey lived. Following the song’s popularity, a fundraising effort allowed the Oklahoma City Zoo to acquire a real hippopotamus, which Peevey ceremoniously presented to the zoo.
The B-side of the original single featured the track “Are My Ears on Straight?” and in later years, Peevey discovered she had royalties due from the song, further cementing its lasting appeal.
Today, the song remains a favorite on holiday playlists, with new generations discovering its charm each year.
Gayla Peevey – I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas MP3 Download
Download I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas MP3
Gayla Peevey – I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don’t want a doll, no dinky Tinkertoy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy
[Verse 2]
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don’t think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won’t have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that’s the easy thing to do
[Bridge]
I can see me now on Christmas morning
Creeping down the stairs
Oh, what joy and what surprise
When I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there
[Verse 3]
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too
[Verse 4]
Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian
[Verse 5]
There’s lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I’d feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage
[Bridge]
I can see me now on Christmas morning
Creeping down the stairs
Oh, what joy and what surprise
When I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there
[Verse 3]
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too
