I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
Gayla Peevey

The song that launched her career when she was 10 

The label of the 45 shows the writer to be "Rox" but one would, per ASCAP, need to write to the publisher for a full name.  I am not that diligent.

Peaked at # 24 at Christmas, 1953

From: http://soe.hyperchat.com/newchat/u/yummy/~soe/matilda1.htm 
"A nationwide hit song entitled "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" performed by Oklahoma City's own ten-year-old Gayla Peevey helped the Zoo raise funds for Matilda. The $3,000 needed to buy her was collected in 13 days with contributions coming in from around Oklahoma, across the nation and even other countries. Gift wrapped for delivery on December 24, 1953, Matilda was the first hippopotamus to ever grace the then Lincoln Park Zoo. 

UPDATE: March 3, 1998: The Oklahoma City Zoo was notified Monday afternoon that "Matilda," the 48-year-old Nile hippopotamus being moved to Disney's Animal Kingdom (tm) Theme Park at the Walt Disney World (tm) Resort, died due to heart failure en route to her new home. 

An MP3 of this song can be found at
http://soe.hyperchat.com/newchat/u/yummy/~soe/hippoFAQ.htm 


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 enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use a dirty chimney flue
Just bring 'im 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 joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
        And see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like   hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me, too


Mom says a hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian


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

        I can see me now on Christmas morning creeping down the stairs
        Oh, what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
        And see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or *rhinocerososes*
I only like   *hippopotamususes*
And hippopotamuses like me, too


TRANCRIBER'S NOTE:  Near the end, likely intentionally, Gayla threw an extra syllable in each word. Rhinoceroses became "rhye-noss-ur-uss-uss-es" and hippopotamuses became "hip-oh-pot-ah-muss-uss-es". 

source: Robin Hood

    Source: geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225/Older_Stuff/Gayla_Peevey

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