In the early '80s, yacht rock group Toto needed a hit or else risk being dropped by its record label. Keyboardist David Paich, allegedly inspired by his catholic upbringing and late-night Africa documentaries, penned much of what would become Toto's biggest hit in less than ten minutes. But is "Africa" a harmless monument to kitsch--or a prime example of poorly aged cultural appropriation and harmful stereotyping? This episode examines the lore behind the writing of perhaps the most memeified song of all time--and what it means today and yesterday. 

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lyricsforlunch/support