About The Song

“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 through Columbia Records in October 1982, the album’s third single overall and second in Europe. “Africa” is the group’s most popular song and reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in early 1983.

The song narrates a story of a man in Africa facing a decision about a girl he loves, capturing his admiration for the continent and his dilemma about leaving for her. The official HD video for “Africa” by Toto has over 948 million views on YouTube as of January 2024. The song has also been performed live by Toto and is available on their concert DVD “Live in Amsterdam”.

Video

Lyrics

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She’s coming in twelve-thirty flight
Her moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation

I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping 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”

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

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

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

“Hurry, boy, she’s waiting there for you”

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing 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 down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had