The Hippopotamus - 1952 - Flanders and Swann

James Pitt-Payne and Ian Cousins - 20 Dec 2001

A bold Hippopotamus was standing one day
On the banks of the cool Shalimar.
He gazed at the bottom as it peacefully lay
By the light of the evening star.
Away on the hill top sat combing her hair
His fair Hippopotamine maid
The Hippopotamus Was no ignoramus
And sang her this sweet serenade.

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud.

The fair Hippopotama he aimed to entice
From her seat on the hilltop above,
As she hadn't got a ma to give her advice
Came tiptoeing down to her love.
Like thunder the forest reechoed the sound
Of the song that they sang as they met
His inamorata Adjusted her garter
And lifted her voice in duet.

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud.

Now more Hippopotami began to convene
On the banks of that river so wide.
I wonder now what am I to say of the scene
That ensued by the Shalimar side.
They dived all at once
with an earsplitting splosh,
Then rose to the surface again,
A regular army Of Hippopotami
All singing this haunting refrain.

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud!

Soft karaoke
Words
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treble clef 2
lyric line
bass
Lyric Line
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The Hippopotamus 1952
Words by Michael Flanders
Music by Donald Swann
copyright 1952 Chappell and Co Ltd
sequence by Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK
and Ian Cousins, Opera Australia
completed on Thursday 20 Dec 2001 at 07.55
in association with Doug Grierson
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