Chords + Lyrics | Africa
Intro
||: N.C :|| x4
||: A G#m C#m | C#m :|| x4
Verse 1
||:4/4 B D#m7 | G#m7 B/F# | A/E E/F# |6/4 G#m7 A G#m C#m :||
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.
|4/4 B D#m7 | G#m7 | A G#m7 C#m | C#m |
He turned to me as if to say, “Hurry boy, it’s waiting there for you”.
Chorus 1
||: F#m D | A Esus4 E :||
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.
| F#m D | A C#m | E F#m G#m |
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh).
Instrumental 1
||: A G#m C#m | C#m :||
Verse 2
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.
Chorus 2
||: F#m D | A Esus4 E :||
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.
| F#m D | A C#m | E F#m G#m |
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh).
Instrumental 2
||: A G#m7 C#m | C#m :||
Solo
| 4/4 B D#m7 | G#m7 B/F# | A/E E/F# | 6/4 G#m7 A G#m C#m |
| 4/4 B D#m7 | G#m7 | A G#m7 C#m | C#m |
Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you.
Chorus 3
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) I bless the rains down in Africa.
I bless the rains down in Africa (it’s gonna take some time).
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh).
Outro
||: A G#m C#m | C#m :||
Africa Chords: Unpacking the Modal Interchange
Composed on the piano, we’re in for some seriously clever chords when we journey into Toto‘s Africa for a lesson in modal interchange.
Let’s start with the chorus, which is in the key of A, moving VI – IV – I – V, like this:
| F#m (VI) D (IV) | A (I) Esus4 (V) E |
Notice how Toto disguises the key centre of A by placing chord I as the third chord of the progression.
For the intro/instrumental section, we’re treating that A as Lydian as we move IV – III – VI in the key of E, like this:
| A (IV) G#m (III) C#m (VI) | C#7sus4 |
This is a modal interchange. A is both Ionian and Lydian in Africa, depending on the section. There’s tablature (TAB) which includes that crazy keyboard lick in the last bar.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Africa – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Worth mentioning is the end of the chorus where we move from A major to A Lydian (E major) by playing a C#m, chord III in A, and chord VI in E.
This is followed by E, chord V in A, chord I in E, and then F#m–G#m, now we’re back in A Lydian as two minor chords a tone apart must be chords II – III.
Modal Shifts and Harmonic Genius
The verse starts in the key of B: I – III – VI – I, like this:
| B (I) D#m7 (III) | G#m7 (VI) B/F# (I/5) |
This makes our A chord a bVIIx, so when it comes in next, it feels like it has tension before it becomes clear that we are playing the same chords as during the intro again, another modal interchange, back to A being Lydian, like this:
| A/E (IV/5) E/F# (I/9) | 6/4 G#m7 (III) A G#m C#m (VI) |
The fact that the key centre is a tone above the other two sections lifts the song harmonically, similar to what modulating at the end of a song does – genius!
Steve Lukather must have been on a coffee break when Africa was put together as this chord progression has keyboard player written all over it. He didn’t even get to play the solo.
Maybe the success of the album, its two singles, and being in Michael Jackson’s band helped soothe the pain.
I’ve designed TAB for all sections of Africa, including how I worked out that keyboard lick and incorporated it into the strumming so you can play Africa on one acoustic guitar.
After exploring this, a chord chart is all you need; here’s one I made for you.
Africa Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Africa chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Africa iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Africa TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for all sections, adapted to work as a solo acoustic arrangement to support a singer. Once you’ve learned it, you’ll find it easy to adapt for electric guitar in a band setting.
Here’s a preview of the TAB—this is the chorus.
Africa, 1982 and Toto
Toto’s highlights could be condensed down to four massive hits; Hold The Line, Georgy Porgy, Rosanna, and Africa. Rosanna and Africa were on the album Toto IV, released in 1982.
This must have been an intense year for the band members as they also featured as a session band on Michael Jackson’s legendary album Thriller, where they appeared on almost every song.
Africa reached #1 in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
The song has sold six times platinum and saw a resurgence in the late 2010s over social media.
For whatever reason, Millennials love this song, especially in the U.K. Maybe it’s because they grew up on David Attenborough. Or maybe, it’s just down to Africa being a great tune.
I’m putting it all down to the chords.
Africa Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Africa (Toto) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: