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 fleu
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 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 rhinosorusses,
I only like hippopotamusses
and hippopotamusses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up but then,
teacher says the 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, no rhinosorusses,
I only like hippopotamusses
and hippopotamusses like me too