“Africa,” Toto‘s No. 1 hit from 1983, has returned to the Billboard Hot 100 this week with Weezer’s cover of the classic currently sitting at No. 89.
Toto keyboardist and vocalist David Paich described the hit as an “experimental cut” when interviewed in February for the single’s 35-year anniversary. Drummer Jeff Porcaro was asked to make an African-style percussion loop comprised of kalimba and marimba sounds from a Yamaha GS-1 synthesizer, which has become a pop-culture staple in television (Scrubs, South Park, Stranger Things) and perfect fodder for the Weezer cover, which the band was begged to perform by fans.
See the lyrics below:
I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She’s 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 long 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 take 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
As 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 rain)
I bless the rains down in Africa
(I bless the rain)
I bless the rains down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa
(Ah, gonna take the time)
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: P LOSITO, S COTUGNO, S WARD, V PALLAVICINI