Essay Example on Africa by Toto: A Metaphorical Tale of Unrequited Love

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics. The song, Africa, by Toto, is fundamentally an adorable melody donned with metaphorical languages that require explicit interpretation to understand. The song is about a lady that the singer met while in Africa and that they had not to meet with her eye to eye, perhaps on account of something from quite a while ago, as mentioned later in the song. The singer returned to Africa, to find that his love was gone, perhaps to another lover. This paper investigates how the vocalist uses metaphorical language in dispersing his message to the responsive crowd.

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The song, Africa, by Toto concerns a man who was on a journey to Africa where he met a lady that caught his eyes. He, however, was at crossroads whether to stay in Africa or let go of her and leave Africa entirely. The name 'Africa' in this context is used metaphorically by the singer to allude to beauty and innocent love. The use choice of the title 'Africa' in the song brings attractive, yet beautiful images of Africa through carefully chosen words and metaphors.

In the song, the singer seems to be creating a lasting, yet impressive view of Africa and promotes the global standing of Africa as a land full of beautiful nature, a picturesque to behold. The singer admits that indeed he must do what is right. This metaphorically means that, indeed, Africa has had large chunks of prejudicial treatments. "I know I must do what is right, as sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti" (Toto, 00:01:50-2.07). The mountain ascends high over the desert, so it is reaffirming the way that he implores the listeners to make wise decisions concerning their personal lives and stand for justice.

The speaker speaks of his love for Africa, just as the culture as well. He introduces Africa to the listeners as a cultural continent with a good grasp of cultural practices. "I hear the drums echoing tonight" (Toto, 00:00:25-34). The meaning of these words is that while he hears drums, however, his lover hears the conversation. He is hearing what he is unconsciously connecting with Africa; in any case, in all reality, there would not be considered more than a calm discussion on the African mainland itself. The song implores the listeners to do self-examination and understand the connections that they have with others in life.

The singer metaphorically urges the listeners to be more resilient and focused on achieving that they need. He admits in the song's chorus, "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," (Toto, 00:01:20-34). There seems to be plenty of resistance concerning writing the song. He is determined to get this going and, at last, triumph. Nobody can convince him out of it. In this case, the listeners get a metaphorical understanding of Africa could be the little things in life that they struggle with, including career, education, and finances. Just like the singer, they should not despair at all until they achieve everything that they need.

Work cited

Toto. "Africa." Toto IV. 1982. Retrieved from https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107859571575/