Hippopotamus Song - Flanders & Swann
[D7] A [G] bold hippopotamus was [Am] standing one [D7] day
On the [Em] banks of the [A7] cool [D7] Shalimar.
He [G] gazed at the bottom as he [Am] peacefully [B7] lay
By the [Em] light of the [A7] evening [D7] star.
[Dm] Away on the [Em] hilltop sat [Dm] combing her [E7] hair
His [Dm] fair hippo-[E7]-potami [Am] maid [D]
The [Em] Hippo-[D]-potamus [Em] was no [D] ignoramus
And [Am] sang her this [A7] sweet [D7] serenade.
Chorus:
[G] Mud, mud, [Am] glorious [D7] mud.
[Em] Nothing quite [A7] like it for [D7] cooling the blood.
So [G] follow me follow, [Am] down to the hollow
And [C] there let us [G] wallow in [D7] glorious [G] mud.
[G/// Am/// D7//]
The [G] fair hippopotama he [Am] aimed to en-[D7]-tice
From her [Em] seat on that [A7] hilltop [D7] above
As [G] she hadn't got a ma to [Am] give her ad-[B7]-vice
Came [Em] tiptoeing [A7] down to her [D7] love.
Like [Dm] thunder the [E7] forest re-[Dm]-echoed the [E7] sound
Of the [Dm] song that they [E7] sang when they [Am] met [D]
His [Em] inamor-[D]-ata ad-[Em]-justed her [D] garter
And [Am] lifted her [A7] voice in du-[D7]-et.
Chorus:
Now [G] more hippopotami [Am] began to [D7] convene
On the [Em] banks of that [A7] river so [D7] wide
I [G] wonder now what am I to [Am] say of the [B7] scene
That [Em] ensued by the [A7] Shalimar [D7] side.
They [Dm] dived all at [E7] once with an [Dm] ear-splitting [E7] sposh
Then [Dm] rose to the [E7] surface [Am] again [D]
A [Em] regular [D] army of [Em] hippopot-[D]-ami
All [Am] singing this [A7] haunting [D] refrain.
Chorus:
[D7] The [G] amorous hippopotamus whose [Am] love song we [D7] know
Is now [Em] married and [A7] father of [D7] ten,
He [G] murmurs, "God rot 'em!" as he [Am] watches them [B7] grow,
And he [Em] longs to be [A7] single [D7] again!
He'll [Dm] gambol no [E7] more on the [Dm] banks of the [E7] Nile,
Which [Dm] Naser is [E7] flooding next [Am] Spring, [D]
With [Em] hippopot-[D]-amas in [Em] silken py-[D]-jamas
No [Am] more will he [A7] teach them to [D7] sing
Chorus:
Hippopotamus Song [D]Flanders & Swann
D7 A G bold hippopotamus was Am standing one D7 day On the Em banks of the A7 cool D7 Shalimar. He G gazed at the bottom as he Am peacefully B7 lay By the Em light of the A7 evening D7 star. Dm Away on the Em hilltop sat Dm combing her E7 hair His Dm fair hippo-E7-potami Am maid D The Em Hippo-D-potamus Em was no D ignoramus And Am sang her this A7 sweet D7 serenade.
Chorus G Mud, mud, Am glorious D7 mud. Em Nothing quite A7 like it for D7 cooling the blood. So G follow me follow, Am down to the hollow And C there let us G wallow in D7 glorious G mud. G/// Am/// D7//
The G fair hippopotama he Am aimed to en-D7-tice From her Em seat on that A7 hilltop D7 above As G she hadn't got a ma to Am give her ad-B7-vice Came Em tiptoeing A7 down to her D7 love. Like Dm thunder the E7 forest re-Dm-echoed the E7 sound Of the Dm song that they E7 sang when they Am met D His Em inamor-D-ata ad-Em-justed her D garter And Am lifted her A7 voice in du-D7-et.
Chorus
Now G more hippopotami Am began to D7 convene On the Em banks of that A7 river so D7 wide I G wonder now what am I to Am say of the B7 scene That Em ensued by the A7 Shalimar D7 side. They Dm dived all at E7 once with an Dm ear-splitting E7 sposh Then Dm rose to the E7 surface Am again D A Em regular D army of Em hippopot-D-ami All Am singing this A7 haunting D refrain.
Chorus
D7 The G amorous hippopotamus whose Am love song we D7 know Is now Em married and A7 father of D7 ten, He G murmurs, "God rot 'em!" as he Am watches them B7 grow, And he Em longs to be A7 single D7 again! He'll Dm gambol no E7 more on the Dm banks of the E7 Nile, Which Dm Naser is E7 flooding next Am Spring, D With Em hippopot-D-amas in Em silken py-D-jamas No Am more will he A7 teach them to D7 sing