"I've been to Africa, it's such a nice country" just says everything....

The irony is the fact that even some of the band members thought the song was silly. They, of course, didn't feel that way when the song became a smash hit, and one of the songs most identified with TOTO.

I miss the early 80’s so much. I was around 13 or 14 when this came out and it takes me back to my first date or the skating rink. ❤❤❤

Don't go looking for the explanation for everything. This song is mainly a love letter to Africa; a vignette. Just evaluate it for what it is.

Toto is describing the discovery of African culture which is fostering a desire. The man in the video is falling in love with the culture of Africa, and he is expressing his need to go and experience the beauty of that continent.

I love this song 🎵

I love this song and coming from south Africa myself it's so beautiful to me I love my Africa it's a magical place.

I used to think Africa was a metaphor for a woman. Years later I learned that the guy that wrote the song was literally singing about his love for Africa.

It was written in response to devastating drought in Africa at that time.

OH!!! toto FOREVER..

Jenny Douglas-McRae is the "librarian" in the video. She's been a backup singer for tons of iconic bands for decades and she sung backup for Toto as well.

If nobody else has already said it, the word for songs that tell stories is a ballad.

Maybe this will help you understand it better: Toto keyboard player David Paich wrote the song and explained in the liner notes of Toto's Best Ballads compilation: "At the beginning of the '80s I watched a late night documentary on TV about all the terrible death and suffering of the people in Africa. It both moved and appalled me and the pictures just wouldn't leave my head. I tried to imagine how I'd feel if I was there and what I'd do." From Songfacts

i love watching you and your reactions, you are so lovely.

Hello from Australia. I LOVE this song! P.S Subscribed yesterday

One of my all time favorite songs.

Hold the a Line by them is a banger.

Africa is a continent not a country but anyways, Love from Egypt, Africa ❤

Searching for clues. So close, then it's taken away because someone doesn't want to be disturbed and doesn't want the answer to be found. Like a mystery novel. Not everything is obvious- at first. Then there's the musical aspect. It swims in beats of the dark continent. Masterfully done, IMO.

Excellent song

The video has nothing to do with the song except having people and artifacts from Africa in it the song is about loving to be in Africa and not wanting to leave great reaction I remember when this song first came out everyone was playing it everywhere and no matter how old it gets it still sounds just as good as when it first come out

Great song.

Whenever I think of Toto, this beautiful song is my first memory.

I'm a new sub. I'm 51 and I grew up on all of the best music. Love your reactions. ❤

As David Paich explains about this song. It was written about the love for the continent of Africa and not just about a personal romance. Great song and a popular one here in the states.

Africa is a nice country lol

Nicely done.

we love also this song: MONDAY MONDAY - THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS

Love this song, great choice 😊

Going to see Toto tomorrow night in Mobile Alabama

You should check out, oh what a night, by the four seasons and frankie Valli

Love it then and now great reaction

The song is about the Serengeti national wildlife park in Tanzania. However in South Africa this Song was used for a advert for Castle Lager Beer back in 1990's for The South African National Cricket Team The Proteas and South African National Rugby Team The Springboks 👍

I’m not feeling you. THIS IS AFRICA. Source of YOU! ME!

This is one of my all time favorite songs. I work in retail and this song used to play occasionally in the store. This past year they took it off the playlist. I'm still disappointed that I don't hear it at work anymore. Especially since a lot of the music is later 2000's pop that I can't stand. There are a few others I loved that got the axe this past year that I think you'd like. ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Cheap Sunglasses are great, and a more recent song that I actually enjoy by the artist "Portugal The Man" entitled "Feel It Still".

finaly i wait for this 4 mons

I recommend Toto‘s best songs: Rosanna, Hold the Line, I‘ll be over you, Georgy Porgy

Like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (have a look of KZfaq) VERY strict rules there, when I was in the Royal Australian Navy we had to sail AROUND IT

Is it I blessed the rains down in Africa 😂

BANDIIBTP❤

Your right it music and a story

Saw them live. Great band....

Can you do Pantera Mouth for War next? I;m a musician, love Toto. Pantera is right up your alley.

Irina I was very happy you reacted to this song. This was the song playing when I bought my first component stereo system. The song is literally about the continent of Africa although parts of the lyrics seem to also be about a relationship so hard to say. Unfortunately the video does not really seem to match the lyrics all that well. That was common back in those days. songs were more about listening than watching back then. Anyway glad you got to hear it even if the video made it confusing. Хорошо. Спасибо большое.

This was one of the early staples of early MTV. Their other huge song and video was Roseanna.

Anyone else remember when this song was on a revival from social media memes that were everywhere a few years back? Good times. Anyway, there's a solo acoustic guitar arrangement of this by Andy McKee that is also really nice and relaxing to listen to.

I love this song and I still listen to it to this day it never gets old I have a sister who still listens to this ❤and back when I was a freshman in high school we were singing this song on stage and it was great but any still listens to this song in 2023 🌍👑

Do more!

Hello, I'm from Brazil, a country in South America, I always watch your reaction videos, a hug 😃

This song is completely cinematic. Perfectly fits for some Discovery channel show

Also dont worry about interpretation,songs can be interpreted how you want or perceive

Just have to take it for the world renowned vibe that it still is..

This is just a great song such a beautiful majestic lyrics you are getting to caught up on trying to figure out what's going in the video and not really enjoying the words and melody of the song it's self Damm girl the 80s and 90s had the best heartfelt meaningful videos ever

A TOURIST IN AFRICA WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THIS SONG….GODSPEED

Let's go to Africa! You and me beautiful! 😁🇺🇸

As an American, I appreciate your effort to learn our language.

You should also check out a live version of this song.

There is al live version on You Tube from Toto of this song Africa, thats amazing.

You are exactly right. He was trying to match the fragment he had with the book it came from. To protect the secret, the native wiped out the library, killed him and likely killed the nice looking librarian.

The 80s were so diverse in the music and songs that we had to listen to. Didn't like what was playing?..Roll the dial a little and something new awaited you. I was 13 when this came out. Back then you didn't hear a song and think HIT forever...this was just the class of music we had..ALL of it were hits of some lvl and stayed timeless. We were so lucky. And we didn't even realize it..we just thought it would always be this way...nope.

The song is about a Christian missionary. His fiance' is flying in to ask him to come back to England to get married but he has found his meaning in life by spreading the gospel and preaching the WORD in Africa. The line "Gonna take some time to do the things we never have" is telling her, I can't leave...there is still SO much left to do. It's about his passion for the LORD and the people he's teaching. It's also based on a true store that David Paich read in a Readers Digest.

Such an iconic chill song from Toto. This wasn't their biggest hit back in the 1980s.....but this song became huge via KZfaq and remakes.

As “Rob Squad” says: “Music says things, words simply can’t.”

I never seen such a beautiful woman in my life, oh my God you are so pretty God bless you.

hello from Medellin-Colombia.

It’s more of a vibe than a story😸

Also check this songs/videos by Steelheart- I'll Never Let you go, Cinderella - Don't Know what you Got (till its gone), Damn Yankees - High enough, Tyketto - Forever Young, Warrant - Cherry Pie/Heaven, Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer/You give love a bad name/Bad Medicine/Always, Skid Row - I remeber you/18 & life, Hear 'n aid - Stars

Jeff Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, David Paich,Bobby Kimball and Steve Lukather..

Abba

If you’re looking for stories in music, you’re going down the wrong path. That’s not what songs are typically attempting to express and this song is a perfect example. I’ve been singing the chorus to this song using the wrong lyrics for decades. However, when I realized my error and started using the correct lyrics, it did not change how this song makes me feel. Make sense?

💙🇷🇸🇸🇪

There is alot of good rock groups. Boston and Kansas and toto styks Nazareth beatles rolling stones elo simon and Garfunkel and seals and crofts foreigner queen the toys the strawberry alarm clock

They didn't been in Africa, so out of the blue they wrote this, and it wasn't meant to be published. But they did and it was a huge hit. Luke (the guitarist) stated, this will be nothing, but it was. Toto is the most underrated band. Because, other musicians said that they were not a rock group, but a more disco/ pop band and back then, disco pretty much was banned.

😘🌹

If you like good ballad songs then focus in on many of Billy Joel's songs. He sings some of the best stories.

I never listened to the lyrics too much on this song, but always enjoyed the music. Toto's best song to me is Rosanna. Fun review too!

Are you from Haledon NJ I see it is your PO Box listing just curious?

What the hell, are all the russian girls gorgeous?

Check out "Mötley Crüe - Girls Girls Girls". No story line to worry about there.

Always think of GTA Vice City which had some great 80's songs on the radio stations. Laura Brannigan Self Control, is another one.

Yeah, even Steve Lukather (guitarist) said the lyrics make no sense at all. The song was just an exercise on how many tracks they could use in studio. They used 4 - 24 tack machines on this single cut. For forty years this song has made it's way back on radio play and has truly never died out. One of my favorite tracks from the Toto IV album but Lukather is right...makes no sense whatsoever. Doesn't mean you can't still enjoy it! You should check out other songs by Toto such as Pamela. Great cut!

Peaceful song

"Hold the Line" is pretty good. And "Straight for the Heart".

My dear, Africa is not a country, it is a continent. Or were you talking about South Africa? Funny as it may sound, this band was introduced in Portugal as a hard rock band. A huge lot of people I know from Africa told me "you can take the people from Africa, but not take Africa from the people". Good reaction. I advice you to listen this song with subtitles, it may be easier for you to understand what they sing about. Kind regards.

Did you like the music?? what a great song! The group TOTO took the name from the Little dog in the movie: Wizard of Oz"

Can you react to overture 1812 from mattia von Sigmund. and I love your content

You should try swimming more, it's super fun when you're good at it. I'm pretty sad I haven't gone in a while.

Lol are you doing ok

Dude is just going to Africa to see his girl. He maybe made mistakes in the past, but she invited him back. It might be a rainy night when his flight gets in. But he gets to see her again. That's all that matters. So he blesses the rain. Not even a hundred men could hold him back from this reunion.

TOTO é uma das maiores bandas que já presenciamos, por favor faça a reação às músicas: ROSSANA e I´LL BE OVER YOU, por favor faça essas músicas

beautiful song reflecting on difficult times in Africa... tribal genocide

Please react to Toto Africa covered by Frog Leap Studios/ Leo Morrachioli

This is one of those songs that is better without the video.

Should listen to Jinjer Pieces live session Tatiana’s voice is incredible

I'll be over you . Toto

React to Randy Travis,Three Wooden Crosses

If you don't mind, let me help you out in your "confusion" part: The song is about a man needing to escape the boring, work, work, work, things never changing, no adventure life he's been living. In fact, it actually scares him some, how his life is going by so fast, and he's allowed it to do so, without doing or going places he used to love. He remembers going to Africa, and how he loved is so, in fact, he can feel it calling to him, and he feels everything, & everyone, is telling him to GO- "There's nothing that a 100 men or more could ever do"- to STOP HIM from going now... So that's one part of it- The rest? Is him describing everything, using places in Africa. "The wild dogs cry out in the night", (these from his past memories), "as they grow restless longing for some solitary company" Then, "I know i must do what's right", (going back home), "Sure as Kilimanjaro", (large mountain in Africa), "rises like Olympus", (yes THAT Olympus- an analogy), "above the Serengeti", (a massive, flat, desert-like area in Africa- one of the places you might have visited when you went there), "I seek to cure what's deep inside- Frightened of this thing that I've become", (this is what I explained above). The second verse has confused more than a few people, until they finally begin to understand it, or someone fills them in. Maybe listen to it again, and see if that "boredom" during the 2nd verse will disappear, lol. Hope this helped some.

Between you and me, I didn't get the video either. I do like the song, and made up an image in my head of what it could have been about over fourty years ago. By the way, if you like ballads (story songs) I don't see any Gordon Lightfoot reactions from you! He is the best balladeer of all time. Try "If You Could Read My Mind" first and then do "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", a song about a maritime tragedy.

React to dizzydross last track

The way you were saying Toto was really funny. It's pronounced toe-doe. You forgot your intro too but it's all good.