What do you think Africa means?

Toto: Africa Meaning

Album cover for Africa album cover

Song Released: 1982


Covered By: Weezer (2018)


Africa Lyrics

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
Shes coming in 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some...

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  1. anonymous
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     Sep 1st 2009 !⃝

    It's rather obvious, a man from Africa fell in love with woman from, well, lets say US for example. He loves her very much, but as well he loves Africa, his culture and beliefs, things that she cannot understand. Then he decided to choose woman, but he still thinks about Africa, misses it, and is afraid of living in civilized world.
    Sounds like that for me ;)

  2. anonymous
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     Jun 17th 2009 !⃝

    I agree with a few posts above me. This song is about someone who has fallen in love with a girl, but he wants to discover more about Africa before he can commit himself entirely to her.

    He loves her, but his love for the continent is something he must pursue on his own. "Gonna take some time to do the things we never had"

    She doesn't understand his attachment to Africa. He hears the 'drums echoing tonight', but she doesn't.

    Africa is his solution, his personal way of purifying himself from his own culture. "I seek to cure what's deep inside..."

    One line says "She's coming in the 12:30 flight, the moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me toward salvation." This means she's coming to see him, but in the reflection of the wings of her airplane, he can see the stars of the sky, the stars of Africa that seem to call so strongly to him.

    Wow, I finally get it! What a great song

  3. anonymous
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     Apr 16th 2009 !⃝

    I think that the speaker is reflecting on who he has become because of the love of a woman. We see that in the beginning he is describing things he is hearing, which describes what one would hear in Africa. Therefore we can only assume that that is where he is, and his girlfriend is arriving on a 12:30 flight to be with him. Later he mentions how he fears what he has become, as though he is possessed with love to a point where he cannot function. The reason, therefore, he is in Africa, is to be cleansed of this obsession by the "rains" which he is blessing; in other words, he has gone to Africa to be cleansed so that he can move on with his life and in turn have a better relationship with his girlfriend.

  4. anonymous
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     Aug 27th 2007 !⃝

    I think we have to look deeper into the song. I'm thinking a girl who he might've met in Africa is arriving at the 12:30 flight. And when he says "I blessed the rains down in Africa" I'm thinking he means he's glad that heaven sent down this girl...???

    If this is completely wrong I'm sorry. I just love this song so friggin much and....frankly I could care less what it means it KICKS ASS!

  5. anonymous
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     Feb 19th 2007 !⃝

    He loves her. He wants to marry her, to be with her forever. But before he can commit himself totally to her, he must fulfill his longing for the secrets of Africa. He is hoping that she will wait for him.

  6. soccer101
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     Oct 24th 2006 !⃝

    My interpretation of this song may not be true but here goes.
    I think this song is about love. Love of someone and love of africa. To me personally it reflects my love of africa and my love of someone from africa.
    "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 blesed the rains down in africa"
    this does not make total sense to me but of course I havmy own interpratations it. If anyone knows do tell I wuld like to know. (please do not say anything about this song being bout slavery because trust me it`s not)

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