Africa
Albatros Lyrics


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[00:08.55]You know
[00:10.32]I never realized
[00:13.42]That a world so incredibly far away
[00:17.67]As Africa
[00:20.60]Could be so closed to me.
[00:24.66]
[00:27.49]Look where we are right know
[00:31.21]On this beautiful little piece of grass
[00:36.04]Suffocated by a sea of cement
[00:40.64]Opressed by all the traffic.
[00:44.10]Look at the people
[00:47.29]Running, shouting
[00:49.66]Like they have all gone mad.
[00:51.67]You know I think
[00:54.92]I just might go back to Africa.
[00:58.50]
[01:31.11]You can joke
[01:32.69]But you can never compare
[01:34.25]This noisy artificial world
[01:36.77]With the natural sounds of Africa.
[02:11.68]
[01:41.26]A time strange, mysterious
[01:44.72]Weird almost unreal
[01:48.94]Looking to the sky
[01:51.26]And raising your arms
[01:53.66]You can almost caress it
[01:56.61]And you feel inside
[01:57.85]To the will to live
[02:00.01]Your skin burned,
[02:01.87]And you feel a man
[02:04.14]More man
[02:05.72]More sincere.




[02:07.36]You know I think I might
[02:08.87]Just go back to Africa.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Albatros's song "Africa" convey the juxtaposition between the hectic modern world and the simplistic natural beauty of Africa. At the beginning of the song, the singer expresses surprise at how close Africa actually feels, despite being geographically far away. They are reflecting on their current surroundings, a bustling city that feels suffocating and oppressive, with people running and shouting like they have all gone mad. In contrast, the natural sounds of Africa feel like a sanctuary, where the sky is vast and infinite, and the feeling of being alive is raw and authentic.


As the song progresses, the singer continues to long for Africa, emphasizing the stark differences between two different ways of life. It seems that Africa represents a sort of escape from the chaos of modern civilization, offering a connection to a more primal and spiritual aspect of human existence. The lyrics are poetic, painting a vivid picture of the beauty and allure of Africa, while rebuking the impersonal and frenetic nature of daily life in the modern world.


Line by Line Meaning

You know
I want to share something with you


I never realized
I didn't fully understand


That a world so incredibly far away
Africa, which is very distant


As Africa
specifically Africa


Could be so closed to me.
seemed so unreachable or foreign


Look where we are right now
consider our current situation


On this beautiful little piece of grass
in this small, aesthetically pleasing area


Suffocated by a sea of cement
overwhelmed by a lot of concrete


Opressed by all the traffic.
feeling burdened by the congestion of cars


Look at the people
observe those around us


Running, shouting
moving quickly and yelling loudly


Like they have all gone mad.
as if they lost their minds


You know I think
I'm starting to believe


I just might go back to Africa.
I could return to Africa


You can joke
You may make fun of this idea


But you can never compare
But this cannot be compared


This noisy artificial world
Our loud, manufactured environment


With the natural sounds of Africa.
To the organic noises found in Africa


A time strange, mysterious
It's a strange, enigmatic time


Weird almost unreal
Peculiar to the point of feeling fake


Looking to the sky
Staring towards the heavens


And raising your arms
As you lift your limbs


You can almost caress it
It's almost tangible


And you feel inside
It makes you feel internally


To the will to live
A determination to keep living


Your skin burned,
Feeling the heat from the sun


And you feel a man
In those moments, you feel like a true man


More man
Even more masculine


More sincere.
And more genuine


You know I think I might
I can't help but consider


Just go back to Africa.
Returning to Africa as a possibility




Contributed by Addison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@bazylikolan2937

i to jest TO!!!Joe Dassin – L’Eté Indien to dodanie lini melodycznej przez wokal.Cała chwała za kompozycję!

@user-ye5ln6jq5l

Какая красивая мелодия. Это просто шедевр. Гениальный Тото 💓

@V.E.X.TK930

Masterpiece. Underrated. Deserving of so much praise. Definitely a vibe.

@user-be1we6kc3z

Конечно шедевр ! Был молод. И ещё в советском союзе мы танцевали под эту музыку . И очень любили ее.

@garnacha-1

Тото, покойся с миром ❤

@alainterieurpointcom

Ce morceau est absolument magnifique ! Merci de nous le faire partager. Quelle inspiration ! J'aimerais connaitre les nom des arrangeurs et orchestrateurs qui sont intervenus successivement pour en tirer toute la richesse ! Merci d'avance

@user-ep4ig8er2h

Ce morceau est l'original, Joe Dassin n'a fait, comme pour toutes ses autres chansons et comme une grande partie des chanteurs "de tubes" de son époque, que de récupérer les arrangements pour en faire une version francophone.

@antoineshunsuke

@Z Pour être exact, ce sont les paroliers Pierre Delanoë et Claude Lemesle qui ont fait une adaptation du texte en français (et je ne parle pas de traduction, mais bien d'une version française). La chanson devait être proposée à Claude François. La légende dit qu'il dormait au moment où il avait rendez-vous avec l'éditeur italien mais que personne n'a osé le réveiller de peur d'être viré. Ayant raté le coche, la chanson a été proposée à Joe Dassin. La suite appartient à l'histoire.

@naferci7692

Une leçon à tirer de l' histoire qui tourne autour de cette chanson. S'inspirer, copier, améliorer, adapter.....est souvent le plus court trajet vers la réussite. L'été indien, sans soute une réussite, mais le mérite se partage entre plusieurs artistes.
Une autre leçon à tirer: Il est souvent mieux de dormir tôt pour se réveiller tôt.

@JoeMitto

Toto Cutugno

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