Flanders and Swann - Hippopotamus Song Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
[Opening]
[D7]A [G]bold hippopotamus was [Am]standing one [D7]day
On the [Em]banks of the [A7]cool Shali[D7]mar.
He [G]gazed at the bottom as he [Am]peacefully [B7]lay
By the [Em]light of the [A7]evening [D7]star.
[verse 2]
[Dm]Away on the [Em]hilltop sat [Dm]combing her [E7]hair
His [Dm]fair hippo[E7]potami [Am]maid [D]
The [Em]Hippo[D]potamus [Em]was no [D]ignoramus
And [Am]sang her this [A7]sweet [D7]serenade.
[chorus]
[G]Mud, mud, [Am]glorious [D7]mud.
[Em]Nothing quite [A7]like it for [D7]cooling the blood.
So [G]follow me follow, [Am]down to the hollow
And [C]there let us [G]wallow in [D7]glorious [G]mud. [G] [Am] [D7]
[verse 3]
The [G]fair hippopotama he [Am]aimed to en[D7]tice
From her [Em]seat on that [A7]hilltop [D7]above
As [G]she hadn’t got a ma to [Am]give her ad[B7]vice
Came [Em]tiptoeing [A7]down to her [D7]love.
[verse 4]
Like [Dm]thunder the [E7]forest re[Dm]echoed the [E7]sound
Of the [Dm]song that they [E7]sang when they [Am]met [D]
His [Em]inamor[D]ata ad[Em]justed her [D]garter
And [Am]lifted her [A7]voice in du[D7]et.
[chorus]
[G]Mud, mud, [Am]glorious [D7]mud.
[Em]Nothing quite [A7]like it for [D7]cooling the blood.
So [G]follow me follow, [Am]down to the hollow
And [C]there let us [G]wallow in [D7]glorious [G]mud. [G] [Am] [D7]
[verse 5]
Now [G]more hippopotami [Am]began to [D7]convene
On the [Em]banks of that [A7]river so [D7]wide
I [G]wonder now what am I to [Am]say of the [B7]scene
That [Em]ensued by the [A7]Shalimar [D7]side.
[verse 6]
They [Dm]dived all at [E7]once with an [Dm]earsplitting [E7]splosh
Then [Dm]rose to the [E7]surface [Am]again [D]
A [Em]regular [D]army of [Em]hippopot[D]ami
All [Am]singing this [A7]haunting [D]refrain.
[chorus]
[G]Mud, mud, [Am]glorious [D7]mud.
[Em]Nothing quite [A7]like it for [D7]cooling the blood.
So [G]follow me follow, [Am]down to the hollow
And [C]there let us [G]wallow in [D7]glorious [G]mud. [G] [Am] [D7]
[verse 7]
[D7]The [G]amorous hippopotamus whose [Am]love song we [D7]know
Is now [Em]married and [A7]father of [D7]ten,
He [G]murmurs, “God rot ’em!” as he [Am]watches them [B7]grow,
And he [Em]longs to be [A7]single [D7]again!
[Closing]
He’ll [Dm]gambol no [E7]more on the [Dm]banks of the [E7]Nile,
Which [Dm]Naser is [E7]flooding next [Am]Spring, [D]
With [Em]hippopot[D]amas in [Em]silken py[D]jamas
No [Am]more will he [A7]teach them to [D7]sing
[chorus]
[G]Mud, mud, [Am]glorious [D7]mud.
[Em]Nothing quite [A7]like it for [D7]cooling the blood.
So [G]follow me follow, [Am]down to the hollow
And [C]there let us [G]wallow in [D7]glorious [G]mud. [G] [Am] [D7]
How to play Hippopotamus Song on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Flanders and Swann - Hippopotamus Song on guitar requires 10 chords and 19 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Hippopotamus Song uses these transitions most often: G → Am (20), D7 → G (19), and A7 → D7 (15). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D7 - G chord transition.
1. D7 → G chord transition
To move from D7 to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
2. G → Am chord transition
To move from G to Am;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
3. Am → D7 chord transition
To move from Am to D7;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
4. D7 → Em chord transition
To move from D7 to Em;
- While playing D7, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
5. Em → A7 chord transition
To move from Em to A7;
- While playing Em, lift your ring finger from D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
6. A7 → D7 chord transition
To move from A7 to D7;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
7. Am → B7 chord transition
To move from Am to B7;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on G string fret 2.
- Place pinky on E string fret 2.
8. B7 → Em chord transition
To move from B7 to Em;
- While playing B7, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
9. D7 → Dm chord transition
To move from D7 to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
10. Dm → Em chord transition
To move from Dm to Em;
- While playing Dm, lift your index finger from E string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
11. Dm → E7 chord transition
To move from Dm to E7;
- While playing Dm, lift your ring finger from B string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
12. E7 → Am chord transition
To move from E7 to Am;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on G string fret 2.
13. Am → D chord transition
To move from Am to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
14. D → Em chord transition
To move from D to Em;
- While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
15. Am → A7 chord transition
To move from Am to A7;
- While playing Am, lift your ring finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
16. Am → C chord transition
To move from Am to C;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
17. C → G chord transition
To move from C to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
18. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
19. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
Hippopotamus Song chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Hippopotamus Song.
- Hippopotamus Song includes 164 chord transitions, 19 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.04% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Hippopotamus Song contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Hippopotamus Song connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (51%), G7 (18%), and C (6%).
- D7 → G: 51%
- D7 → Em: 1%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → Am: 13%
- G → D7: 1%