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My Gen X Playlist: Africa – Toto

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Rebuilding Rob pulled an interesting daily prompt from thecoffeemonsterzco. I think I’ll give this one a try, too.

If you could live in any city for two years, where would you choose to live?

At one point in my career, I began to question what I was doing. I was grateful to have a job, yes. But work consumed me. All I did was work. I started asking myself questions. Why wasn’t I married yet? How was I helping society? What was my purpose?

I heard about the Peace Corp. I didn’t know much about it, but it sounded like an adventure, plus meaningful work helping others. I attended a meeting to learn more.

The speaker had just returned after serving two years in Africa. Africa! Such a far off place! The thought of helping those in desperate needed sounded like such a noble cause. Then I learned about living in a hut, on a dirt floor, without basic amenities. I wondered if I could endure not having running water or electricity for two years. I think that was the backbreaker. That would be tough. And even though not all volunteers would live in these extreme conditions, I didn’t want to leave it to chance. With my luck, I’d roll the dice and land squarely on that spot. Except this wasn’t a board game. This decision deserved deep introspection and commitment.

So I didn’t join the Peace Corps. Is there a tinge of regret? A little. It would have been a life changing experience. Maybe in another life, I may find the courage to step up with a different decision.

Toto released Africa back in 1982. I was surprised to learn a parallel between the inspiration for the song and my phase in life.

With introspective lyrics . . . we wondered if this song involved a bit of personal reflection. Turns out, it did. In a Songfacts interview with David Paich, he explained: “There’s a little metaphor involved here, because I was at the age where I was so immersed in my work, 24/7, that at times I felt like I was becoming just a victim of my work. There was a little bit of autobiographical information in there: being consumed by my work, not having time to go out and pursue getting married and raising a family and doing all the things that other people do that were my age at the time.”

Songfacts

Maybe questioning ourselves is a common phase of life. Sometimes there are so many questions swirling without immediate answers to pair them with. You have to live life until they suddenly appear. That was me in my early thirties. I didn’t make it to Africa in search of meaning, but I eventually found it along the way. And I still have a basket full of questions waiting patiently for answers. That seems to never end. Or will it? It sounds nice to lean back, relax with my feet perched on the coffee table, a silent inner voice and a clear head. I wonder if that will ever come. Sounds like yet another question to drop into my basket of question marks. I’ll have to just wait patiently for that answer to arrive.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

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 old 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 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)

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 (ooh, ooh)

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 rains down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa (gonna take the time)
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh)

21 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Africa – Toto”

  2. Thanks for shout out!

    I like to think of myself as a smart, but I must admit that Africa is a place I k ow almost nothing about.

    It’s sad that our schools don’t teach us much about the history of that country times (aside from ancient Egypt, of course)

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    1. From what I remember, you go where there is a need. It wouldn’t necessarily be in Africa. It just happened that the speaker came back from there. It still has an appeal for me, but don’t think my body could take it now!

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      1. It would be fascinating to experience the cultures in some of the 54 countries on the continent, though obviously some are dicey with civil wars and other conflicts. But yeah, Peace Corps or other hands-on international development work would be tougher at our ages.

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  5. Excellent song and narrative! “And I still have a basket full of questions waiting patiently for answers.” Wow. Never really considered it, but it seems I too am waiting for answers that may or may not come in this lifetime.

    The prompt a week or so back about living a long life… I think that would come in here. I mean, if the avg lifespan was 150…heck, why not give Africa two years? There’s so many highways and byways, seems a shame we spend our lives doing something that … ehh… pays the bills, when our heart would have us hiking in the Andes, sailing in the Caribbean, writing, mastering an instrument, digging wells in Africa. Anyway, great post 😎

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    1. Hey Darryl, I can always count on you for a comment that hits home for me. Yeah, we work to pay the bills. I think I need to insert a little more fun in there! I’m not sure my weary bones can make to 150!

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  6. Africa is home to some of the world’s most stunning destinations, and you’re welcome to explore Algeria. 😊

    I understand that you may be more interested in the Democratic Republic of Congo, parts of Ghana, and other countries in West Africa.
    I share your dream of helping people in those and other African countries.
    Unfortunately, the ongoing war in the Middle East has shattered the dreams of countless children. They are living in tents, lacking sufficient food, and missing out on education.
    Those children need our help. They require humanitarians to acknowledge their situation and provide assistance.

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    1. Oh, Africa looks beautiful! My niece spent a summer there and her photos were wonderful. Africa is on my bucket list for sure! I’ll look at Algeria online. I’m sure it’s wonderful!

      While I wanted to spend time helping people in need, the destination of the speaker was a little challenging for me. I really am impressed with people who choose to serve like that!

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    1. I just listened to it for the first time! I always like a good cover version! I thought they might give it their own spin, but it was similar to the original. Still really good. Thanks for the introduction.

      It turns out, they covered a bunch of songs and I went down a rabbit hole. I was surprised they covered Billie Jean! That was interesting! Great way to start my day. Thank you!

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  10. Interesting that the song is a metaphor for missing out. I never knew that
    Like he missed ‘out’ on the rains in Africa
    So, this is so funny to me because I had this weird opportunity to go to Africa a few years back. I had just learned to say yes to things. (I was more of a no person,up to that point)
    When I heard myself say ‘I want to go’ I knew I was going. No one, not G not my brother, not my best friend, no one thought this was a good idea for me. But I went
    When I was there we were in some crazy road washing away, tires stuck in the mud, rain. The bus leaked so bad we had to keep our feet up and everything off the floor while a river ran down between the seats. At one point we were stuck, it was pitch dark, pouring rain, and then out of nowhere, came a group of local people with shovels. We never saw a town. It was the craziest thing. One of the teenagers with us said “wow, you can’t make stuff this up!”
    Our group was a little obsessed with the song after that. I always thought it meant that after being in the rains in Africa, he missed them. The trip was life changing, we all did miss Africa when we came home, even the rains.
    I had an adventure for sure, I can say now, I really didn’t miss (out on) the rains in Africa!

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    1. Thanks for sharing that story. I understand being a no person, many times I lean in that directions as well. What an amazing time to go against the grain and say yes to an adventure in Africa! While I was reading about the leaky bus, I thought it must have been miserable at the time but also such a vivid long lasting memory you were able to bring home. By going on this trip, you allowed the universe to share the goodwill of the locals, shovels in hand, generosity in heart. Glad you said yes when you might have typically said no. Truly inspiring.

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  11. It was fun to remember and funny to me now, that we didn’t know what the song was about.
    I actually went back another time
    So many crazy things happened on those two trips, but you’re right, made them all the more memorable!
    Thanks for humoring me and my story from my yes period

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