Africa – English Lyrics

• By: Toto
• Album: Toto IV

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the rich tapestry of Toto's "Africa," a song that has captivated listeners for decades with its unique blend of soft rock and world music influences. Discover how a fascination with a continent sparked a timeless hit, offering insights into cultural appreciation and the power of imagination. Learn new vocabulary about geography, emotions, and cultural themes through this iconic song.

[English]

(upbeat music)

♪ 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 ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ 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 ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ 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 some time ♪

♪ Gonna take some time to do the things we never had ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

(upbeat music continues)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - to perceive with the ears the sound made by someone or something
drums /drʌmz/ A2	noun - a musical percussion instrument
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of time when it is dark
whispers /ˈwɪspərz/ B1	noun - a soft, quiet way of speaking verb - to speak very softly using one's breath
flight /flaɪt/ A2	noun - the act of flying or the ability to fly
wings /wɪŋz/ A2	noun - a part of a bird, insect, or bat's body that allows it to fly
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - a fixed luminous point in the night sky
salvation /sælˈveɪʃn/ B2	noun - preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
words /wɜːrdz/ A1	noun - a unit of language that has meaning and can be spoken or written
melodies /ˈmelədi/ B1	noun - a sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying.
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
rains /reɪnz/ A1	noun - the process of water falling from the sky as rain verb - to fall from the sky as rain
dogs /dɒɡz/ A1	noun - a domesticated carnivorous mammal
wild /waɪld/ A2	adjective - living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or unhappiness. noun - a loud expression of pain or emotion
restless /ˈrestləs/ B1	adjective - unable to rest or relax; anxious.
kilimanjaro /ˌkɪləmənˈdʒɑːroʊ/ C1	noun - a mountain in Tanzania, Africa.
cure /kjʊər/ B2	verb - relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition. noun - a treatment that relieves or eliminates a disease or condition
frightened /ˈfraɪtnd/ A2	adjective - afraid or anxious.
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to.

Key Grammar Structures

• ♪ I hear the drums echoing tonight ♪

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase "I hear" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now or around now. Here, it emphasizes the ongoing experience of hearing the drums.

• ♪ But she hears only whispers ♪

  ➔ Contrastive Conjunction

  ➔ The word "But" is a contrastive conjunction used to show a difference between two ideas. Here, it contrasts what the speaker hears with what she hears.

• ♪ She's coming in, 12:30 flight ♪

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense with Time Expression

  ➔ The phrase "She's coming in" uses the present continuous tense with a specific time expression "12:30 flight" to indicate a future action that is planned or scheduled.

• ♪ The moonlit wings reflect the stars ♪

  ➔ Simple Present Tense

  ➔ The phrase "reflect the stars" uses the simple present tense to describe a habitual or general truth. Here, it describes a recurring or timeless action.

• ♪ I stopped an old man along the way ♪

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The phrase "I stopped" uses the simple past tense to describe a completed action in the past. Here, it indicates a specific event that occurred.

• ♪ It's gonna take a lot to take me away from you ♪

  ➔ Future with 'Going to'

  ➔ The phrase "It's gonna take" uses 'going to' to express a future action based on present evidence or plans. Here, it predicts the difficulty of being separated.

• ♪ I bless the rains down in Africa ♪

  ➔ Present Simple with Emotional Emphasis

  ➔ The phrase "I bless the rains" uses the present simple tense to express a recurring or timeless emotional state. Here, it emphasizes the speaker's deep appreciation for the rains in Africa.

• ♪ Gonna take some time to do the things we never had ♪

  ➔ Future with 'Gonna'

  ➔ The phrase "Gonna take some time" uses 'gonna' as an informal contraction of 'going to' to express a future action. Here, it indicates the time needed to achieve something.