Hold me closer Tony Danza…
I remember liking the 80’s song “Africa” by Toto. I always thought that the lyric was “I bless the rains down in Africa.” This morning, though, my song reality was momentarily shaken when I learned I might have been singing the wrong lyrics to “Africa” all this time during my solo drive time concerts.
I was half-watching a report on Today about a couple who works to preserve the lion population in Africa and the title of the segment was “Bless the manes down in Africa. Hmm…was that really the lyric? “Manes” in Africa were blessed, not “rains?” The song itself was not played on the segment, but even Greg did not know for sure what the real lyrics were. Manes made sense, because lions have manes and the segment was pro-lion.
I finally looked up the lyrics when I got to work this morning. I was right the first time. My car concerts were accurate. But I think that I like “Bless the manes” better, because everyone knows I am pro-lion.
Africa
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 long forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say, “Hurry boy, it’s waiting there for 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
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
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
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
