I want a hippopotamus for Christmas; Only a hippopotamus will do

Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy; I want a hippopotamus to play with and en-joy

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

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs

Oh what [D7] joy and what surprise, when I [G] open up my eyes

to see a [A] hippo hero [D] standing [D7] there

[G] I want a hippopotamus for Christmas; Only a hippopotamus will [D] do

[D7] No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses; [A7] I only like (D7)hippopota- [D] muses

And [A7] hippopota- [D7] muses like me [G] too

(Short Music Interlude)

[G] [G] [D]

[D7] Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then

[A7] Teacher says a hippo is a (D7)vegeteri- [D] an

[G] [G] [D]

[D7] There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage

[A7] I'd feed him there and wash him there and (D7)give him his [D] massage

I can [G7] see me now on [C] Christmas morning, [G7] creeping down the [C] stairs

Oh what [D7] joy and what surprise, when I [G] open up my eyes

to see a [A] hippo hero [D] standing [D7] there

[G] I want a hippopotamus for Christmas; Only a hippopotamus will [D] do

[D7] No crocodiles, no rhinoceroseses; [A7] I only like (D7)hippopota- [D] museses

And [A7] hippopota- [D7] muses like me [G] too