Meaning of “Africa” by Toto

“Africa” is a song recorded by the American rock band Toto. The lyrics of “Africa” capture the quandary of a guy who must choose between his two loves — the continent of Africa and girl he finds therein.

The song’s co-writer David Paich (keyboardist and vocalist of Toto) said he was inspired to write the song when during the early 80s, he watched a documentary about the “death and suffering” plaguing many people in Africa.

According to Paich, the horrible images of suffering stayed in his mind for a very long time, forcing him to imagine what he would feel and what he’d do had he had the misfortune to be there.

“Africa” actually has a number of interpretations, one of which is an invitation to immerse oneself into a situation of terrible death and suffering, as was the case in Africa at the writing of the song, and to determine what one would do.

More about the Lyrics of “Africa”

In a 2015 interview, Paich said the song is about a man’s deep love of Africa. Three years later, the songwriter went on to describe the song as one that is about someone flying to a distant land (apparently Africa) to meet a lonely missionary there.

FYI: Growing up, Paich was enrolled in a Catholic school, and many of the teachers at his school often traveled to Africa where they worked as missionaries. And that inspired the lyrics “I bless the rains down in Africa”.

The line “I seek to cure what’s deep inside, frightened of this thing that I’ve become” is one of a personal reflection. Here, the singer sees a need to take a break from his work and give some time to other important things in life — such as getting married, having kids, etc.

Paich confirmed the meaning of this line in an interview he had with SongFacts. In the interview, Paich said at the time he wrote the song, he was at a period in his life where he had become so immersed in his musical career that he felt he was becoming a victim of his career.

Owing to this, Paich said he could not go out to focus on the important things in life that people of his age were engaged in such as getting married and starting a family.

Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti and Olympus

The word “Kilimanjaro” in the line “As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti” is Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa.

Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania. On the other hand, “Serengeti” refers to the Serengeti ecosystem, which is among the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.

The Serengeti is located in both Tanzania and Kenya. As of “Olympus”, it is the highest mountain in Greece.

So considering the fact that Kilimanjaro and Serengeti are located in the same region (the northern part of Tanzania), it makes perfect sense for the writer(s) to refer to Kilimanjaro as towering over Serengeti.

Music Video

The music video of “Africa” was directed by renowned Irish film director and music video director Steve Barron. In the music industry, Barron is famed for directing such notable music videos as the following:

• “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson
• “Take on Me” by a-ha
• “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.

He also directed Toto’s 1982 global hit “Rosanna“

Interesting Facts about Toto’s “Africa”

“Africa” was written by David Paich and the famous American drummer, songwriter and music producer Jeff Porcaro. FYI: Porcaro died at the premature age of 38 from a heart attack that was caused by cocaine use.

His tragic death occurred on August 5, 1992 (about 9 years after “Africa” was released). In 1993, he was honored posthumously with an induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

As of the time the song was written, neither of the writers had been to the continent of Africa.

The track’s production was handled by Toto.

The song was released officially in Europe on May 10th, 1982 and in the United States on October 30th, 1982. It was the third single from the band’s fourth studio album titled Toto IV. The entire project won a Grammy Award for the Album of the Year at the 1983 Grammy Awards.

Instead of Toto’s lead vocalist Joseph Williams, Paich performed lead vocals on this track, making it one of the few Toto songs on which he sang lead vocals.

Achievements of “Africa”

“Africa” was Toto’s first number 1 hit. Till date, the song is the band’s only number 1 hit.

The track peaked at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

The track, which is arguably Toto’s most famous song, was one of the most famous and successful global hits of the 1980s. According to members of Toto, they never expected the song to be as successful as it eventually became.

Did “Africa” win a Grammy Award?

Despite being a massive global hit, “Africa” never won a Grammy. However, the album (Toto IV) on which the track appeared won as many as 6 Grammys at the 1983 Grammy Awards, including the aforementioned “Album of the Year”.

The album’s lead single “Rosanna” also won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1983.

Which artists have sampled “Africa”?

Since the song came out in 1982, it has been sampled by several artists, including rapper Nas and singer JoJo. One of the most notable songs containing a sample of “Africa” is the 2003 hit “Murder Reigns” by American rapper Ja Rule.

Which artists have covered “Africa”?

Since the track came out in 1982, it has been covered by several artists. One of the most famous covers was released by the American rock band Weezer. The band released a cover of the song on May 29th, 2018. This was after a social media campaign to persuade the band to cover the song was launched in December 2017 by a 14-year-old female fan.

Which musical genre does “Africa” belong to?

It is a soft rock/light rock song.

The Continent of Africa

The African continent is the second most populous and second-largest continent, consisting of 54 countries. Despite the notion that Africa is the least successful continent, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

It is rich with a beautiful culture and heritage. It is also filled to the brim with radiant sights, awesome wildlife, rich heritage, and beautiful people.

One special attribute of Africa is the diversity of each of its countries. Though all countries emerged from one African heritage, each of them has different and special beliefs with sub-cultural divisions within their regions.

Two clear examples are the African countries Ghana and La Cote D’Ivoire. These countries are rich in diverse heritages and popular for their supply of Cocoa to other parts of the world. Within Ghana are 16 different regions and over twenty tribes, each with its distinct beliefs and ways of life.

Another is Nigeria. It is the largest country by population in Africa, with different tribes such as the Yoruba, Igbo, and many others.

The cultural heritage of the African continent is entrenched in its Music, Dance, Art, Languages among others.

The uniqueness of the continent’s music has over the years won the hearts of many music lovers around the world. The clothes and traditional styles that were once frowned upon are now being embraced not just by the people of the homeland but other continents as well. Wearing the traditional Ankara or Kente is now seen as an act of pride.

Sweet Africa!

Amidst the rich heritage of Africa breaking boundaries is “Afro”, a term used to describe African dance. From different parts of Africa, dances from afrobeat and dance lords have consumed the contemporary dance styles that have reigned in the past years. These dances can be traced back to the Sub-Saharan African music traditions.

There are some cities and sights in parts of the African Continent that continue to leave tourists and onlookers in awe. Amongst the numerous breathtaking sites in Africa include the following:

• The spectacular Victoria Falls, the Namib
• The amazing Sahara Desert
• Egypt’s ancient and legendary city of Memphis
• Old castles and forts abandoned by colonial masters
• The beautiful town Knysna in South Africa
• Ihla, the island of Mozambique
• Lake Victoria (one of the purest and freshest lakes)
• Umm al-Maa in Libya

Africa also boasts of perhaps the largest density of wild animal populations with a diversity of species including large carnivores, herbivores, and jungle animals.

The African continent, despite all its economic and financial shortcomings, has many beautiful and great aspects that function successfully in its regard.