Africa by Toto:

Commentary on a song about a place.

In 1982, the band Toto released their album Toto IV, which contained the hit song Africa. This song is about a man in Africa waiting for his girlfriend's flight to land. He sings about the rain and the importance of their reunion. The song is filled with tribal drumming and a fun melody. In addition, it contains a great chorus about the rains in Africa.

In my opinion, this song has stuck around as a popular piece of music because almost everyone can relate to it...a man waiting for his girlfriend. This could be taken several ways; maybe they have broken up and he is waiting for her to accept him again, or perhaps they were separated by some tragic accident. Nevertheless, this is a classic situation in our culture, so it has helped the song sustain it's popularity and be remembered.

Place and environment add quite a bit to it's rhythm and tone. The band has incorporated somewhat of an African theme into the melody, using some flute and drums. The song also has a rather long introduction, allowing time for these elements to sink in. The relation of the song's qualities says a lot about the place it is connected to.
Citation:

Toto. Africa. Toto IV, Columbia, 1982.