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Silas Atkinson

Prof. Leonard

English 1201.513

7 February 2020

Toto, We’re Not In The 80’s Anymore!

An analytical essay by Silas Atkinson

Toto’s and Weezer’s versions of the song “Africa” differ not in their lyrical message, but

instead in the construction and meaning of their respective music videos. The music video for

“Africa” by Toto feels more moody and longing, and is about a man’s yearning for the continent,

while the video for “Africa” by Weezer is brighter, more enthusiastic, and decidedly not a love

song. While Toto’s “Africa” may be a celebration of the continent, Weezer’s “Africa” is a

celebration of the song itself.

The music video for “Africa” by Toto is set in a dusty library where the main character, a

middle aged white man, searches through books in an effort to find a page that matches the

ripped piece of paper he holds. The viewer is also introduced to another character, a librarian

who notices the main character’s search while working. The librarian also stamps the man's

passport, and he seems to be dressed for going on a safari. This part of the video also contains a

montage of the band members of Toto playing on top of a giant book labeled “Africa.” The

library seems safe, but the video is periodically interspersed with shots of an African tribesman

approaching with a spear and a shield identical to the depiction on the main character’s paper.

Eventually, the tribesman arrives in the library and the video begins to change to scenes of

destruction. The main character finally finds the right book, identical to the book the band was
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playing on before, and it opens to the right page as the librarian's glasses lie broken on the floor.

Dust swirls and bookshelves topple over before being lit on fire by a shattered lantern.

The idea of a white man in a library, very distant from the deserts and jungles of Africa,

seeking connection to the continent seems strange. But, as the viewer soon realizes, the man so

in love with the beauty of Africa is also unaware of the potential danger present in such a remote

place. And this emphasizes the distance between the man and Africa, he only has his idea of

Africa from media and stories, not from actual experience. Add this to the fact that 80’s soft

rock was very much a white people thing, and the viewer realizes that Toto is connecting to their

audience through their shared interest and misunderstanding of a continent far away from their

cities and suburbs in North America.

Weezer, however, differs in their approach, most likely because Toto’s “Africa” long ago

surpassed the bounds of genre, race, class, and age. It is a timeless classic that everyone knows

the words to. The backup vocals and keyboard in Weezer’s rendition are performed by guest star

“Weird” Al Yankovic, a musician known for making parodies of popular songs. The band

Weezer is known for electric guitar-heavy American rock songs like “Say It Ain’t So” and

“Buddy Holly.” Their cover of “Africa” is louder, more energetic, and more expressive than the

original. And it works. By taking it up a notch, Weezer perfectly expresses the feeling one gets

singing along to “Africa.” It’s next to impossible to not sing along, and the vocals make the

listener want to rock out to a 80’s soft rock song. And Weezer does just that, covering “Africa”

in all of their rock n’ roll glory so listeners can sing their hearts out, and then some. The decision

by Weezer to cover “Africa” was not originally the band’s idea, but that of a teenager who
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bombarded Weezer on Twitter until they gave in and made it a reality, further showing that

Weezer’s “Africa” is for everyone and anyone at all.

The music video for Weezer’s “Africa” begins quietly, with a dark screen that lightens to

reveal tropical ferns shot in black and white, an allusion to Toto’s video, and the silhouette of a

man. The camera then continues through a dimly lit hallway and out through a doorway where

the viewer sees the silhouette of the band upside down. As the camera enters the room, the song

begins and the camera rotates to match the band right side up. The video changes from fuzzy

black and white to clear color, and the recording studio the video is set in becomes visible. The

camera continues moving, weaving through the band as they play energetically. When the final

verse comes, the whole band is either on the ground clutching a keyboard, playing air drums, or

staggering backwards in a soulful frenzy.

While Toto may have created “Africa” as a love song about a western man’s love for the

mystique of Africa, Weezer stretched the song to its most heartfelt. Toto’s rendition is more

intimate, more exclusive, and deeper than Weezer’s, which takes the song to its max and blasts it

loudly for everyone to hear. Weezer isn’t just playing the song, they’re enjoying it, feeling it.

They’re rocking out and blessing the rains down in Africa.

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Works Cited

Toto,Toto. “Toto - Africa (Official Music Video).”​ YouTube​, performance by Toto, 22 May,

2013, ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY

Weezer. “Weezer - Africa (starring Weird Al Yankovic).” ​YouTube​, performance by Weezer and

“Weird Al” Yankovic, 24 Sep. 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk5Dwg5zm2U