‘Africa’ is a song by American rock band Toto, appearing as the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album Toto IV (1982). It was released as a single in the US in October 1982, the album's third single overall and second in Europe. The song was written by band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, produced by the band, and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Elliot Scheiner. The song was popular upon its release, hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1983, and also reaching the top 10 in many other worldwide record charts.
The song was accompanied by a music video, which premiered in 1983, and was directed by Steve Barron, who collaborated previously with the group for ‘Rosanna’. The video features Toto in a library, as they perform and showcase various aspects of African culture. While popular in the 1980s and 1990s, with the song being certified gold by the RIAA in 1991, ‘Africa’ saw a resurgence in popularity via social media during the mid- to late 2010s, inspiring numerous Internet memes as well as a fan-requested cover by American rock band Weezer which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since been certified eight times platinum.
The initial idea and lyrics for the song came from David Paich. Paich was playing around with a new keyboard, the CS-80, and found the brassy sound that became the opening riff. He completed the melody and lyrics for the chorus in about ten minutes, much to Paich's surprise. "I sang the chorus out as you hear it. It was like God channeling it. I thought, 'I'm talented, but I'm not that talented. Something just happened here!'" Paich refined the lyrics for six months before showing the song to the rest of the band.
In an interview with David Paich, he explained: "There's a little metaphor involved here, because I was at the age where I was so immersed in my work, 24/7, that at times I felt like I was becoming just a victim of my work. There was a little bit of autobiographical information in there: being consumed by my work, not having time to go out and pursue getting married and raising a family and doing all the things that other people do that were my age at the time."
In 2015, Paich explained that the song is about a man's love of a continent, Africa, rather than just a personal romance. He based the lyrics on a late night documentary with depictions of African plight and suffering. The viewing experience made a lasting impact on Paich: "It both moved and appalled me, and the pictures just wouldn't leave my head. I tried to imagine how I'd feel about it if I was there and what I'd do." Jeff Porcaro elaborates further, explaining: "A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he's never been there, he can only tell what he's seen on TV or remembers in the past."
Label – Columbia
Songwriters – David Paich, Jeff Porcaro,
Producers – Toto
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1: David Paich]I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's comin' in, 12:30 flight
Her moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hopin' to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say
"Hurry, boy, it's waiting there for you"
[Chorus: Bobby Kimball]
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothin' that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
We're gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Ooh-hoo
[Verse 2: David Paich]
The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure what's deep inside
Frightened of this thing that I've become
[Chorus: Bobby Kimball]
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothin' that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
We're gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Ooh-hoo
[Bridge: David Paich & Bobby Kimball]
Hurry, boy, she's waiting there for you
[Chorus: Bobby Kimball]
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothin' that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa (I bless the rains)
I bless the rains down in Africa (I bless the rains)
I bless the rains down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa (Ah, gonna take the time)
We're gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Ooh-hoo