Flanders & Swann - The hippopotamus song lyrics

Flanders: The very first of the animal songs. Some people think the title of this song is irrelevant. But it's not irrelephant, it's a hippopotamus! Both: 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 a hilltop sat combing her hair His fair hippopotami 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 that hilltop above As she hadn't got-a-ma to give her advice Came tip-toeing down to her love Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound Of the song that they sang as they met His inamorata adjusted her garter And lifted her voice in duet: Flanders: In Russian! Swann: (Sings a line of the chorus in Russian) (Sings a line of the chorus in Russian) (Sings a line of the chorus in Russian) Flanders: Follow me, follow! Swann: (Sings a line of the chorus in Russian) Flanders: Down to the hollow! Swann: (Sings a line of the chorus in Russian) Flanders: That will improve our cultural relations! Both: 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 ear-splitting splosh Then rose to the surface again A regular army of hippopotarmy All singing this haunting refrain: Flanders: (To audience) That's you! Everyone: Mud, mud, glorious mud Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood So follow me, follow Flanders: Oh, that's lovely! Everyone: Down to the hollow Flanders: Beautiful! Everyone: And there let us wallow in glorious mud!