"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" is a novelty Christmas song by Gayla Peevey where the narrator is a little girl who wants a pet hippopotamus for Christmas.
Big Bird and Anne Hathaway sing "I Want a Snuffleupagus for Christmas" in Elmo's Christmas Countdown.
Lyrics[]
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 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 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 want a hippopotamus
for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus
will do
No crocodiles,
or rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too!
Appearances in Christmas specials[]
- Ally McBeal: "Making Spirits Bright" - Peter MacNicol and Jane Krakowski
- Elmo's Christmas Countdown - Sung by Big Bird and Anne Hathaway as part of their segment for box #8, replacing "Hippopotamus" with "Snuffleupagus".
Album appearances[]
- Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites - Covered by Elmo.