John Rox wrote the novelty song I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas in 1950. Three years later, Gayla Peevey, a ten-year old from Oklahoma City, OK, recorded it with Mitch Miller’s orchestra as the supporting cast. It’s been a holiday earworm ever since – and now it’s available for three octaves of handbells (plus optional D7).
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
I don’t want a doll, no dinky Tinkertoy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy.
By the way… shortly after that, the Oklahoma City Zoo sought donations to get a hippo. Although it wasn’t because of the song and Gayla, but when they had accumulated $3000, they acquired a baby hippopotamus. And then they “gave” it to Gayla, which was followed by Gayla “giving” her new pet back to the zoo. Perhaps it’s much better to have someone who knows how to walk a hippo every day to be doing the caretaking…
Wikipedia tells us that Gayla embraced her fame. Apparently her parents might have thought that recording a single song would be a fun opportunity, and that would be it. What became one of the most popular (not-necessarily-church-based) Christmas songs of all time led to loads of attention, and a lasting happy musical legacy!
