Africa

Africa is a single released by Weezer. It's a cover of Toto's #1 hit from 1982. It was also released as the first track on The Teal Album.
==Overview==
In December 2017, Twitter user "@WeezerAfrica," run by 14-year-old Cleveland, Ohio resident Mary Klym, tweeted, "@RiversCuomo it's about time you bless the rains down in Africa."Klym, Mary. (@weezerafrica) "@RiversCuomo
 it's about time you bless the rains down in africa". 6 December 2017, 9:55 AM. https://twitter.com/weezerafrica/status/938406456302489600 After much back-and-forth between Mary and Pat Wilson, the band released a cover of Toto's "Rosanna" instead, as a digital download, on May 24, 2018. The band would, in fact, release a cover of "Africa" days later, on May 29.
A limited edition 7-inch vinyl pressing was released by Weezer in July 2018 and sold exclusively through the store Urban Outfitters. The pressing was limited to 1500 copies. A picture disc vinyl was also released for Black Friday 2018 and limited to 3000 copies. Both releases feature "Rosanna" as a b-side.
A video starring "Weird Al" Yankovic was released on September 24, 2018. On September 27, Weezer released a remix of the song by Portuguese DJ RAC. On January 24, 2019, Weezer surprise-released a self-titled album of cover songs ("The Teal Album") with "Africa" as the first track. In April of 2019, an instrumental version of the track was leaked online.
"Africa" was the band's first Hot 100 hit since "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" in 2009. "Africa" reached number 51 on the Hot 100 and peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018, becoming the band's first number-one single since "Pork and Beans" in 2008.
The band Toto responded to Weezer's cover by performing the song "Hash Pipe" at a concert on July 30, 2018Trendell, Andrew. "To return the favour, here’s Toto covering ‘Hash Pipe’ by Weezer." NME. 1 August 2018. https://www.nme.com/news/music/toto-to-release-cover-of-weezers-hash-pipe-2361419, soon thereafter releasing a studio recording on August 9, 2018"Hash Pipe." YouTube, uploaded by TOTO, 3 August 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOoC-Gflass. Toto guitarist Steve Lukather commented on Weezer's cover in a Rolling Stone article in 2020.Greene, Andy. "Bless the Rains: Inside Toto’s Slow Fall and Surprise Resurrection." Rolling Stone, 20 November 2020: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/toto-africa-band-interview-1091194/
Kids who’d never heard of Toto now knew every word to “Africa,” and the band had Weezer to thank. “I tried to reach out to Rivers [Cuomo],” says Lukather. “I said, ‘Hey, man, isn’t this funny? Whether you like us or not, it’s working out good for both of us.’ Silence! The cat refused to talk to me! I’m friends with the biggest rock & roll stars in the world, and this is the only cat that refuses to talk to me! I’m sorry, Rivers. You made a lot of fuckin’ money off this. You should be a little bit more thankful. But I got nothing bad to say about them. Some of them were cool, but Rivers really hurt my feelings.”Weezer invited Steve Porcaro to play the song with them on Jimmy Kimmel. He was hanging with the band backstage when Weezer’s manager came in to tell them that the song was shaping up to be an enormous radio hit. “I saw Rivers wince,” says Porcaro. “They initially did it as a goof, but now they realized they’d have to play the song for a lot longer than they thought they would. This whole business runs on hit records. If you get one, you better be prepared to play it for the rest of your life.
"Africa" was certified Gold on March 15, 2019Darus, Alex. "Weezer celebrate major milestone for “Africa” cover." Alternative Press, 15 March 2019. https://www.altpress.com/news/weezer-africa-toto-cover-gold/
==Audio/video==
===Music video===
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===Audio===
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==Personnel==
*Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals
*Patrick Wilson – percussion, producer
*Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, vocals, synths
*Scott Shriner – bass guitar, vocals
== Lyrics == 
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 take 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
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
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 rain)
I bless the rains down in Africa
I bless the rains down in Africa
(Ah, gonna take the time)
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
==See also==
*"Rosanna"
*List of Weezer cover songs
*Weezer (The Teal Album)
*Weezer discography
==References==
Category:Weezer songs
Category:Weezer singles
Category:Cover songs
Category:Weezer songs produced by Patrick Wilson
Category:Songs on Weezer (The Teal Album)
Category:2018 releases