By Steve Almond.
What makes “(I Bless the Rain Down in) Africa” so bad? Mostly, it’s the lyrics. Also, the instrumentation, the vocals, and that virulent jazz-lite melody, which, despite the manifest wretchedness of everything means that you may well be conjuring the song even as you read this – those hypnotic banks of synthesizer and phony “tribal”-sounding drums – and without at all meaning to sort of … grooving to “(I Bless the Rain Down in) Africa,” sort of digging it, sort of bathing in the buttery memory of sixth grade or tenth grade and hand jobs and lip gloss and really actually kind of remembering, or rediscovering, how much you love “(I Bless the Rain Down in) Africa” even as you’re hating yourself for this love. It’s complicated.
Dear Drought-Plagued Continent, he is saying. You really remind me of this chick I want to sleep with. Something about you – maybe it’s the wild dogs or the ancient melodies or the starving children I watch on TV – makes me realize I’ve been working too hard. I need to give myself more time to do and consume things with my lady, who I wish would get here already. In return, I bless your rains.
It is the lovechild of Muzak and Imperialism.
(full clip of spoken reluctant exegegis)
Taken from Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life.
Related: Steve Almond interview 1 / Steve Almond interview 2 / Pretty Authors Make Graves
First posted: Friday, July 23rd, 2010.
