| Toto – Africa Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I've always liked this song, but never really could figure out the meaning of the lyrics until I listened real closely the other day and applied the words to circumstances in my own life...and they took on a real meaning for me. My interpretation is that it relates to the ever-present battle in a man's heart between ramaining a faithful husband and the lure of the uncommitted and single life. Africa is a metaphore for lure of the wild single life/nightlife/meat market(whatever you want to call it)that can draw a man away and fail his wife. "I hear the drums echo in the night" is the constant din of temptation that eventually can wear down a man until he gives in. "As she here's whispers of some quiet conversation" suggests his devoted wife is not distracted by such desires ad is oblivious to the tug-of-war going on in her man's heart. "The wild dogs cry out in the night as they grow restless longing for some solitary company" are his old friends who are still single and in the night scene on the prowl like the wild beasts in Africa longing for some prey and trying to get him to share in the spoils. He has held strong and faithful to his love but the call of the wild is wearing him down and and he is contemplating on giving in to these lusts. "I seek to cure what's deep inside, frightened of this thing that I've become" He recognizes he could actually go through with it and it's scaring him. "I know that I must do what's right, sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti" Kilimanjaro is a metaphor for his conscience rising up in him to do the right thing, stay strong and remain loyal to his woman. Why the writer used Olympus to describe it I'm not sure, but it fits that Mount Olympus is actually where Zeus, the God of Greek mythology, founded his proper kingdom with his family. "I stoppped 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!" This is where he confided in a friend or perhaps someone like an uncle or religious figure for some sound advice. He is "frightened of this thing he's become" and is hoping this person would encouraged him to fend off these desires with "Old forgotten words or ancient melodies", a reference to the Bible and what it has to say about love, marriage and adultery, but to his suprise was told, "Go for it! Hurry before she returns, every man does it, it's just waiting there for you!" "The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me toward salvation" means if he can stay strong, he'll soon be reunited with his true love and past the temptations of being alone. "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you. There's nothing that a hundred men or more can ever do". His battle cry that no matter how hard the world tries to lure him away, he will remain loyal to his love. "I blessed the rains down in Africa" is his victory cry. He conquered the storm and all the rain it dumped on him; the lonliness, darkness and temptation" and whether they knew it or not, was a blessing of hope for all those still caught in the rain. "It's going to take some time to do the things we never had." He is looking forward to spending the rest of his life with his wife and doing many things together they've never done before. |
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