Song: “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”
A 1953 gem sung by a 10-year-old from Oklahoma remains a holiday delight
Recorded by Gayla Peevey, a 10-year-old from Oklahoma City, OK, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” is one of the lesser-known classics of the season, which is unfortunate as it is a charming song with funny lyrics and a distinctive, bouncy melody.
Peevey sang from a very young age, appearing on local television shows hosted by Hoagy Carmichael and singing duets with him and guests like Dean Martin and Jimmy Durante.
“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” was written by John Rox, a songwriter for Broadway and films. The song peaked at #24 on the Billboard chart in 1953.
- Rox was married to the actress who played nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz in Bewitched.
After the song was released, the Oklahoma City Zoo launched “The Gayla Peevey Hippo Fund” so the zoo could acquire a hippopotamus for its exhibits. It worked, and Peevey was presented with an actual hippopotamus on Christmas 1953. Then, as had been planned all along, she donated the 700-pound hippo — Mathilda — to the city zoo. Mathilda lived for nearly 50 years.
Peevey went on to own a boutique advertising agency in El Cajon, CA, before returning to Oklahoma after retirement. In 2017, Peevey, then 73 years old, was present when the Oklahoma City Zoo acquired a rare pygmy hippopotamus from the San Diego Zoo.
In a delightful 2010 interview captured on video, Peevey said that she had never received any royalties from the song. However, in 2016, her daughter — who also ventured into music — discovered an account with Sony Music holding nearly $100,000 in royalties under her Mom’s name. Peevey had also been earning revenue for the song through iTunes.
The song has been covered by the Three Stooges, Bob Keeshan (aka, Captain Kangaroo), LeAnn Rimes, Kacey Musgraves, and Gretchen Wilson.
The lyrics are a delight, with these always making me smile:
My 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
The video below is from Toast of the Town, and was pre-recorded in October 1953. It’s a delightful bit of cornball fun.
Enjoy!
