Good Friday evening, friends. Tonight, we are going to learn the meaning of the 80s classic song 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 the 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 some interpretations, one of which is an invitation to immerse oneself in a situation of terrible death and suffering, as was the case in Africa at the time of the song, and to determine what one would do. 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 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 that 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. 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, because 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. (Source comes from Meaning of “Africa” by Toto - Song Meanings and Facts Have a blessed night. Take care and GOD bless.
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