'Africa' by Toto Is about WHAT?! | Lyrics Explained

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The content of this educational video is covered by fair use. My explanations are transformative and add interpretation and analysis to the original work much as happens when I teach poetry in a university classroom. When I explain songs, I use only the lyrics or short clips of the original song or music video and do not hurt the song’s salability or provided a market substitute. All copyright claims will be disputed and appealed. Please see me as your ally in my attempt to use a literary perspective to enable fans to better understand and enjoy your wonderful and interesting piece of music.

[tombombadilofficial]

Ive always interpreted this song as being about a young missionary in Africa who's on his way to the aiport to fetch a former love interest coming in to visit him. On his way, he's struggling about his own feelings. He is in conflict about his desires to be reunited with a former romantic interest at the same time scared how it might distract him from his missionary work. He is in conflict about doing what's right but at the same time he acknowledges the fact that although he enjoys his missionary work, he longs for companionship and is excited about the idea of being reunited with romantic interest.

[sandpitturtle]

I always thought that they sang "I guess it rains down in Africa" and was like "yeah that makes sense I guess.. I mean it has to.. I think.." Thanks for clearing that one up for me

[rosslambert]

Kilimnajaro, Olympus and Serengeti. Getting one of these words into a song is pretty good but all three, into one line, that is genius.

[SpiceGhouls]

Having been to Africa, it is definitely magical, and I had this song in my head half the time I was there!

[waterfowlcoalition]

Let me tell you how good this song is: I have been to Africa. In fact, I have been there twice. I didn't go to any place popular (other than Nairobi, Kenya since that is where my plane arrived). I travelled to southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania to do mission work. I feel EXACTLY like what this song talks about--I love Africa. I love the people. I love the rugged beauty of a landscape as wild as its inhabitants. Without a doubt, a hundred men or more could never convince me not to go back, and if the Lord is willing, I will spend the rest of my life there. This song perfectly captures everything I feel about it. My missionary team of which I was a part, (not the leader to be clear, just a member) even prayed for rain during the severe drought of 2017. 3 Days later it came! WHOO MAN!

[spidernymph]

When people actually do missionary work they often "fall in love" with the people they are ministering to, and they're not the same when they come back (if they come back), it helps them to become a better person. "I seek to cure what's deep inside
Frightened of this thing that I've become".

[JumpingJoelle]

Finally! I've been wanting this for so long!

[bobvarden]

"Africa " is my fave all-time pop tune, but I was convinced the lyrics were directly related to some personal love affair the singer had with his love awaiting him in Africa. No matter, still the best song to come out of yesterday.

[VirginiaCurcio]

I’m gonna be honest I was not expecting this. 😂

[HarryPotterFreakLena]

'If you ever get the chance to travel outside of your own country' sounds super weird to Europeans 😂 I live two hours away from France and about 3h from Italy. And we have Erasmus and Interrail and all that. It's sometimes easy to forget that that's not the same for Americans

[catsarecool]

In social studies when we were learning about Africa a kid thought that Africa was connected to U.S

[blazerboy]

Congrats Cliff, you spawned the all new nerdy branch of the Africa meme.
Also can you explain Imagine Dragons' new song Natural? I think you will find it is much deeper (or at least better written) than Evolve. I read your pieces on evolve, and I think you will find this quite redeeming of ID's songwriting. IDK, maybe its just me, but I would love your insight on the song.
Also nice vid.

[VolcanicTsunami]

Well to me it's a song about a love sick werewolf in Africa who cannot be with the one they love, due to the curse that is inflicted upon them. They're scared desperately wanting to find a cure so they can be, free from it and with the one they love. . . What do you think?

[pvpvxfc]

I always interpreted the lyrics as being about a widower that lost his wife in his later years but he and his wife always talked about going to Africa, but then he finally did in order to honor his late wife's memory. I like my interpretation a whole lot more lmao!

[katesclassicreads]

I haven't watched this yet and I already love it <3

[EugeneClarke-qlsv]

As a South African this song makes me miss so many departed loved ones
1.my mom who had all these groups on vinyl I still own them and treasure them
2.moeneeba Christians somebody I loved and miss so dearly even though we only knew each other less than a Yr and god needed you more than I do I remember us singing along to this when ever we had Sunday afternoons listening to the classic rock hours
3.my dear family who had to leave this world I hope you guys are still singing this like we always do

[goblinyeet]

I have four different versions of this song on my phone

[JanJan-pdmo]

Great explanation! I love the song. I worked for a dentist who went to Africa every summer. He loved it there.

[xraydelta]

Thanks for the explanation. I almost joined the French Foreign Legion in 1980, had a letter and almost mailed it one afternoon, never told my ex wife about it. Am a Vietnam combat vet and at that time in 1980 wanted to leave the U.S. banking executive career I was on. I had read Albert Camus' novel: "A Happy Death" in the early 1970s. I had served multiple tours in Vietnam and had left it in early 1971 to go to University. Got a couple of CIA recruitment letters during my first quarter of school. Read a novel about mercenaries in Africa and at the end of the novel: one of them is by himself slowly dying of wounds and he heads into the long grasses of the veldt to die. Which at the time sounded like a peaceful, noble death for someone like me. So the song always struck my melancholy of choosing a safe, boring life for a shorter, riskier life. I ended up in the PTSD Ward at the V.A. in Seattle in 1997, along with fellow Vietnam combat vets. Now I am 73 and still think I should have died in Vietnam....I had cancelled my last re up tour in Vietnam and was being assigned as a Navy advisor in the boondocks with the South Vietnamese, during the time of large Unit reductions in force. Always felt if I had done that last tour I wouldn't have made it back to the Great Supermarket of the U.S.

[MicaRulz]

Or it could be that he loves a girl but he went to africa to find a cure for the werewolf growing in side him and he blesses the rains because it covers the full so he doesn't change.

Think about that the next time you listen to it