Origins: Hippopotamus Song (Flanders & Swann) -MUD

Subject: hippopotamus song
From:
Date: 27 Oct 97 - 06:32 AM

hello out there, I'm looking for the wurds to the hippopotamus song( aka mud glorious mud) by flanders and swann. Anybody help?? I've been all over the place.AAArgh

thanks Keef

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: alison
Date: 27 Oct 97 - 07:22 AM

Hi,

Try a search for Jen's lyrics (http://www.enternet.co.nz/client/personal/jen/lyricindex.html), if she doesn't have it there are a heap of links to other lyric sites including ones for kids songs. Failing that it's in "Rise up singing".

Slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr Add: THE HIPPOPOTAMUS SONG (Flanders & Swann)
From: Alex
Date: 30 Oct 97 - 07:57 PM

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS SONG

"Some people think the title of this song is irrelevant, but it's not irrelevant - it's a Hippopotamus!" "At The Drop Of A Hat" - Michael Flanders & Donald Swann.

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 brushing her hair
His fair hippopotamine maid.
The hippopotamus was no ignoramus
And sang her this sweet serenade.

CHORUS: 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 that 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. CHORUS

Then 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 all dived at once with an ear-splitting "Splosh"
Then rose to the surface again.
A regular army of hippopotami
All singing this haunting refrain. CHORUS

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From:
Date: 31 Oct 97 - 05:17 AM

many thanks alex and alison Keith

Subject: Lyr Add: GLORIOUS ICE (Les Barker)
From: AndyG
Date: 31 Oct 97 - 05:42 AM

And the Les Barker parody runs approximately like this like this:

Glorious Ice

A mild mannered manatee, lay basking in brine,
On the banks of the far Falkland Isles,
And he murmured with vanity, his voice was like wine,
And his song could be heard for some miles,
Away on a hillside in Shipston-on-Stour,
A cow stood a-chewing her cud,
This ruminatory, heard his oratory,
And something was stirred in her blood.

Ice, ice, glorious ice,
Nothing quite like it to make you feel nice,
Men never make passes, at girls in crevasses,
So fill up your glasses,
With glorious ice.

This manatee was moved and was mildly upset,
When he heard that far distant moo.
For basso-profundity long distance duet,
Are two things few herefords do.
Away on a hillside in Shipston-on Stour,
His true love she sang of the south.
This big bovine being was antipodeing,
as every moo moved through her mouth.

She sang of the glaciers she sang of the snow,
Though she was in Shipston-on-Stour.
He heard her arias and he knew he must go,
And send her a Falkland Isle flower.
Away on a hillside in Shipston-on Stour,
A messenger moved up the slope,
She saw that he bore a, gift from Interflora,
And with it this message of hope.

Ice, ice, glorious ice,
Nothing quite like it to make you feel nice,
Men never make passes, at girls in crevasses,
So fill up your glasses,
With glorious ice.

The above is from memory not copied from The English Book of Penguin Folk Songs where I read it and thus may not be wholly accurate.

AndyG

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: Bert
Date: 31 Oct 97 - 08:48 AM

I love it AndyG. I'll have to learn that one.

BErt.

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: Shula
Date: 31 Oct 97 - 08:57 AM

Dear A's,


Well, here's a pretty How-d'y-do!


Though these rare zoological ditties
We'd "gamely" endeavor to croon,
Oh! Woe is me! Manatee!
Me, oh my! 'Potami!
YOU blighters left out the T*U*N*E!!!!


(Please?!)


Shula

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: AndyG
Date: 31 Oct 97 - 10:57 AM

Sorry, but as I've said before I've no skills appropriate to providing tunes.

However in this case I can point you at The Hat Pages and The Hat Pages (Publications) where more info is available.

AndyG

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: Alex
Date: 31 Oct 97 - 11:38 PM

Sorry, Shula, I don't have the ability to transcribe the tune. I have the 3-CD set "At the drop of a hat", "At the drop of another hat" and "The Bestiary". Donald Swann was an incredible accompanist and pianist. If you can't get the recordings in your country? through the links provided by AndyG (Thanks Andy) I can try to run off a tape.

Subject: Tune Add: THE HIPPOPOTAMUS SONG (Flanders & Swann)
From: alison
Date: 02 Nov 97 - 06:24 PM

Hi

Here you go Shula, I'll figure out the guitar chords later if you can't work them out from the tune.

MIDI file: HIPPOP.MID

Timebase: 480

Name: The Hippopotamus Song
TimeSig: 3/4 24 8
Key: G
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0960 1 62 050 0478 0 62 050 0002 1 67 053 0478 0 67 053 0002 1 67 053 0478 0 67 053 0002 1 67 057 0478 0 67 057 0002 1 67 054 0238 0 67 054 0002 1 62 050 0238 0 62 050 0002 1 59 061 0478 0 59 061 0002 1 55 040 0478 0 55 040 0002 1 57 049 0478 0 57 049 0002 1 59 040 0478 0 59 040 0002 1 60 049 0478 0 60 049 0002 1 59 038 0958 0 59 038 0002 1 59 046 0238 0 59 046 0002 1 57 043 0238 0 57 043 0002 1 55 040 0478 0 55 040 0002 1 67 061 0478 0 67 061 0002 1 67 046 0478 0 67 046 0002 1 66 040 0478 0 66 040 0002 1 67 041 0478 0 67 041 0002 1 64 038 0478 0 64 038 0002 1 62 048 2398 0 62 048 0002 1 62 046 0478 0 62 046 0002 1 67 053 0478 0 67 053 0002 1 67 049 0478 0 67 049 0002 1 67 061 0478 0 67 061 0002 1 67 050 0238 0 67 050 0002 1 62 045 0238 0 62 045 0002 1 59 061 0478 0 59 061 0002 1 55 038 0478 0 55 038 0002 1 57 054 0478 0 57 054 0002 1 59 046 0478 0 59 046 0002 1 60 042 0478 0 60 042 0002 1 59 035 0958 0 59 035 0002 1 71 034 0215 1 69 023 0023 0 71 034 0215 0 69 023 0027 1 67 019 0478 0 67 019 0027 1 66 026 0455 1 64 050 0023 0 66 026 0455 0 64 050 0002 1 69 036 0478 0 69 036 0027 1 66 036 0455 1 64 044 0023 0 66 036 0455 0 64 044 0002 1 62 036 2398 0 62 036 0002 1 64 050 0476 1 69 032 0002 0 64 050 0455 0 69 032 0027 1 69 061 0478 0 69 061 0002 1 69 052 0478 0 69 052 0002 1 64 036 0478 0 64 036 0002 1 64 052 0478 0 64 052 0002 1 64 042 0478 0 64 042 0002 1 69 057 0478 0 69 057 0002 1 69 053 0478 0 69 053 0002 1 69 043 0478 0 69 043 0002 1 64 049 0958 0 64 049 0002 1 69 059 0478 0 69 059 0002 1 72 046 0478 0 72 046 0002 1 71 032 0532 0 71 032 0002 1 69 048 0426 0 69 048 0000 1 69 042 0478 0 69 042 0002 1 71 044 0478 0 71 044 0002 1 68 050 0478 0 68 050 0002 1 69 053 2398 0 69 053 0002 1 62 048 0478 0 62 048 0002 1 64 053 0478 0 64 053 0002 1 66 030 0478 0 66 030 0002 1 67 037 0478 0 67 037 0002 1 66 044 0478 0 66 044 0002 1 62 046 0478 0 62 046 0002 1 62 038 0478 0 62 038 0002 1 64 049 0478 0 64 049 0002 1 66 040 0478 0 66 040 0002 1 67 048 0478 0 67 048 0002 1 66 038 0478 0 66 038 0002 1 62 038 0478 0 62 038 0002 1 62 041 0478 0 62 041 0027 1 72 053 0455 1 71 046 0023 0 72 053 0455 0 71 046 0002 1 69 037 0478 0 69 037 0002 1 67 038 0478 0 67 038 0002 1 66 044 0478 0 66 044 0002 1 64 040 0478 0 64 040 0002 1 66 027 0478 0 66 027 0002 1 67 029 0478 0 67 029 0002 1 66 024 0478 0 66 024 0002 1 64 023 0478 0 64 023 0002 1 62 026 0478 0 62 026 0002 1 66 027 0478 0 66 027 0002 1 67 057 1438 0 67 057 0002 1 62 044 1438 0 62 044 0002 1 60 043 0478 0 60 043 0002 1 59 044 0478 0 59 044 0002 1 57 038 0478 0 57 038 0002 1 62 045 1438 0 62 045 0002 1 67 054 0478 0 67 054 0002 1 66 033 0478 0 66 033 0002 1 67 053 0478 0 67 053 0027 1 64 017 0447 1 69 058 0031 0 64 017 0449 1 67 043 0031 0 69 058 0457 0 67 043 0000 1 66 045 0478 0 66 045 0002 1 64 046 0478 0 64 046 0027 1 66 052 0455 0 66 052 0000 1 62 041 0958 0 62 041 0002 1 62 040 0478 0 62 040 0002 1 71 049 0238 0 71 049 0002 1 71 061 0718 0 71 061 0002 1 69 053 0478 0 69 053 0002 1 67 045 0238 0 67 045 0002 1 62 045 1198 0 62 045 0002 1 72 061 0478 0 72 061 0002 1 72 046 0478 0 72 046 0002 1 71 052 0478 0 71 052 0002 1 69 057 0238 0 69 057 0002 1 64 033 0718 0 64 033 0002 1 62 053 0478 0 62 053 0002 1 64 061 0478 0 64 061 0002 1 66 038 0478 0 66 038 0002 1 67 042 0478 0 67 042 0002 1 62 038 0478 0 62 038 0002 1 59 052 0478 0 59 052 0002 1 55 049 0478 0 55 049 0002 1 57 049 1918 0 57 049 0002 1 59 040 0478 0 59 040 0002 1 57 045 0478 0 57 045 0002 1 55 048 2398 0 55 048
End

To download the October 30 MIDItext 97 software click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:The Hippopotamus Song
M:3/4
Q:1/4=100
K:G
D2|G2G2G2|GDB,2G,2|A,2B,2C2|B,4B,A,|G,2G2G2|
F2G2E2|D6|-D4D2|G2G2G2|GDB,2G,2|A,2B,2C2|
B,4BA|z/8G2z/8F2E7/4|-E/4A2z/8F2E13/8|-E3/8D45/8|
-D35/8E13/8|-E3/8A23/12z/8A2A19/12|-A5/12E2E2E19/12|
-E5/12A2A2A19/12|-A5/12E4A19/12|-A5/12c2B53/24A11/8|
-A5/12A2B2^G19/12|-^G5/12A67/12|-A53/12D19/12|
-D5/12E2F2G19/12|-G5/12F2D2D19/12|-D5/12E2F2G19/12|
-G5/12F2D2D19/12|-D5/12z/8c2B2A35/24|-A13/24G2F2E35/24|
-E13/24F2G2F35/24|-F13/24E2D2F35/24|-F13/24G131/24|
-G13/24D131/24|-D13/24C2B,2A,35/24|-A,13/24D131/24|
-D13/24G2F2G35/24|-G13/24z/8E2A17/8G29/24|
-G5/6F2E2z/8F25/24|-F7/8D4D9/8|-D7/8BB3A9/8|
-A7/8GD33/8|-D7/8c2c2B9/8|-B7/8AE3D9/8|-D7/8E2F2G9/8|
-G7/8D2B,2G,9/8|-G,7/8A,41/8|-A,23/8B,2A,9/8|
-A,7/8G,41/8|-G,39/8||

Slainte

Alison

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: Alex
Date: 03 Nov 97 - 11:25 PM

Wow!

Subject: Tune Add: THE HIPPOPOTAMUS SONG (Flanders & Swann)
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 04 Nov 97 - 01:19 AM

The MID2txt program does a pretty simple minded conversion to ABC and is sensitive to small timing errors (I'm working on this). I copied Alison's red text and converted back to MIDI and quantised. Here is the ABC psrt of the result:

ABC format:

X:1
T:The Hippopotamus Song
M:3/4
Q:1/4=100
K:G
D2|G2G2G2|GDB,2G,2|A,2B,2C2|B,4B,A,|G,2G2G2|
F2G2E2|D6|-D4D2|G2G2G2|GDB,2G,2|A,2B,2C2|
B,4BA|G2F2E2|A2F2E2|D6|-D4E2|A2A2A2|E2E2E2|
A2A2A2|E4A2|c2B2A2|A2B2^G2|A6|-A4D2|E2F2G2|
F2D2D2|E2F2G2|F2D2D2|c2B2A2|G2F2E2|F2G2F2|
E2D2F2|G6|D6|C2B,2A,2|D6|G2F2G2|E2A2G2|F2E2F2|
D4D2|BB3A2|GD5|c2c2B2|AE3D2|E2F2G2|D2B,2G,2|
A,6|-A,2B,2A,2|G,6|-G,4||

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From:
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 09:25 PM

Can't quite make out the tune from previous entries. don't you know, old sport. Where do I find it written down without having to go to Chappells in Bond Street. Whenever I go there I come home with £50 worth of written music when all I wanted was 1 melody.

Subject: RE: hippopotamus song
From: Barbara
Date: 27 Aug 00 - 02:42 AM

Hi Mick, welcome to Mudcat. If you put the name or any key phrase in the blue search box upper right, it will take you to the Hippopotamus Song in the Digital Tradition database here. Or just click on the name what I made into a link for you.
At the bottom of the song words is another link, says "CLICK HERE TO PLAY", and when you do, it should play you the tune.
Or were you looking for sheet music? If you have music notation software, a lot of them will turn a midi into sheet music, and that file is a midi that ends up in your browser's cache, so...
Does that help?

Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: Chord Req: The Hippopotamus song (Flanders/Swann)
From: Barbara
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 09:49 PM

The song is in the database, as is the tune. I am hoping for chords.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Hippopotamus song (Flanders/Swann)
From: s&r
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 03:29 AM

There are probably better chords but this works:
G G C G
G D D D
G G C G
G D D D

Am Em Am Em
Am Am Am Am
D D D D
C G D D
G D C D
G G C Am
C G Am G

Stu

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Hippopotamus song (Flanders/Swann)
From: Barbara
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 04:22 PM

Thanks Stu, that's pretty close to what I figured, only I modulated the second (AND 4TH) lines from D to A before returning to G. And I think I used E7 the second time it came up instead of Em. I had an idea there might be some more elaborate swing type chords to it. But it looks like you and I are on the same page, anyway.

Thanks,
Blessings,
Barbara