Centuries ago in a part of Africa
Creatures were not as they are today
There were dinosaurs and things
And Dodos with wings
And man walked on all fours still the same

Now the Hippopotamus was just like the Rhino
Lived upon the land and used to graze
He never went near the river or the waterhole
And underneath the trees he used to laze

With a flick of a hippo's tale
He grazed upon the land
Had no concern about his size
He led a life of ease
And cooled beneath the trees
With a flick of a hippo's tale he'd shoot the flies
It's the tale of a flick of a hippo's tale

Centuries ago in a part of Africa
The rains came and didn't go away
And the grass it grew so high
Right up to the giraffe's eye
And Hippo he grew fatter by the day

And his skin was like a drum
And out came the Sun
And it began to burn him so I'm told
And his skin was growing thick
So off he went to drink
And slipped into the muddy waterhole

With a flick of a hippo's tale
He slipped into the waterhole
And steered himself along just like a boat
He also found that he could walk along the bottom
With a flick of a hippo's tale could also float
It's the tale of a flick of a hippo's tale

The water was so cool
In the pool of that waterhole
That he decided he would stay a while
But an old Egyptian goose
Hurled some loud abuse at him
And woke a giant sleeping Crocodile

The croc said go away
And leave this pool today
They fish are just enough for me alone
But Hippo said "I swear"
Fish are not my fare
I will spread my tongue and you won't find a bone

With a flick of a hippo's tale
He walked along the riverbank
Conflict and broken into dust
He said "Look ngwenya"
You won't find no bone
With a flick of a hippo's tale he showed his trust
That's the tale of a flick of a hippo's tale
That's the tale of a flick of a hippo's tale