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I am not white, so therefore I have the ancient powers to do the following: I bless Steve Almond down wherever he may be, for providing us with the perfect combo of truth and mirth (for 15+ years, double-digit views and unlimited smiles). [Bonus biscuits shall be awarded for the fact that this is my ex's favourite song.]

This girl Sylvia I knew her as a baby sitting on her dad Whitman's shoulder. There used to be a cat too sleepin on the table. I used to be a regular visitor of Shakespeare & co. God...much water has flown under the bridge..!!!

Sylvia Whitman is absolutely drop dead gorgeous ❤❤❤

Great until you got to the Serengeti. The Serengeti is hardly a desert. It’s a grassland savannah where wild animals graze. That’s what it’s famous for. Very few deserts ( none really) are famous for masses of wildlife…

A wonderful video, thank you so much!!!!

Delightful

I know this is counterintuitive, but Almond's scathing satire and analysis has me appreciating the song all the more. It makes conscious all the poetic and musical elements that are communicated unconsciously. But the one, rather horrifying piece he seems to have missed is: what happened to the black librarian at the end of the video? At around 3:10 a spear is thrown, the librarian looks up and grabs her glasses, which fall on the wet floor. The stack of books falls, and the main book, entitled "Africa" is shown open with a torn page and then the oil lamp falls on it and the pages catch fire. The hero in the library finds the book on the shelf and seems not to notice or care what has happened to the librarian, as all the above horrific elements are recycled a second time! So I would love to hear a satire on the M-TV video alone! Even though I see by the date above, it's been awhile. Thanks and God Bless (the rains down in Africa)!

My wife and I just came across this shop around 25 years ago during a brief visit to Paris; we had not heard about it and after wandering around it it really made a strong impression, long may it operate.

If this is tongue-in-cheek, then it is genius and "top-shelf" creativity/wit/comedy. But, if any elements of the presentation were intended to be inferred as a serious and fair indictment of ethnic prejudice on the songwriter, then, as if placed upon a medieval, spring-loaded, trapdoor - the lever is pulled as it falls into the darkness below the castle privy.

Quante nuove sylvia beach avrà ispirato questa libreria

Meh. The way this guy delivers every line with an over practiced affectation reminds me of the "how to give a fake ted talk" via inflections in the voice video.

She's such a beauty :)

Why’s this dude whining over the top of this awesome song? Is it a new form of rubbish slam poetry? 😂

It would be wonderful of Closed Caption can be added to this video. Thanks!

Uuffgh that video smell too much wine 😄

She is so pretty that almost ugly.

Some names are not cool at all when translated to spanish -> Esteban Almendra

This chick is on drugs !!

Anyone know the name of the bookstore in Holland she mentions housed in an old church?

This video drove me to an early grave.

My wife hates this song with a passion. My hatred is more subtle.

OMGAWD I KNOW THIS GUY HE'S MY FAMILY FRIEND HE'S PLAYING POKER WITH MY DAD IN MY DINING ROOM RIGHT NOW I'M ACTUALLY TELLING THE TRUTH, even though I know you guys won't believe me :(

I love Steve as much as I love the song 😂

This is *NOT* funny.

I am jealous of Steve Almond. I wish I could make a living without having to be competent at my job.

arrogant prick

When in the hell will people stop talking and playing music at the same time!!!!!

Still better than Patio Lanterns

I find this song to be much too deep for this guy. He takes every lyric so much more literal than I ever have, and its not even like Im a toto fan but the lyrics are obviously going to be more stupid if you take them upfront. (like really he thinks the dogs are actually dogs?). I bet this guy likes xxxtentacion or some other garbage that claims to be deep while being as deep as a puddle because the upfront lyrics are darker but nothing underneath them to analyze.

It was Raiders of the Lost Ark that inspired Toto to make this song.

The Serengeti is not a desert.

Be nice if he could get the song title right at least...

Well. I just heard a pleasant bland pop song deconstructed an annoyingly smug man whom is more clever than smart or funny.

The title of the song is "Africa." "I blessed the rains down in Africa" is a lyric in the song, not the name of it. It is viable fodder for comedic assailing, but the assailant cannot get the one thing wrong upon which the entire piece is predicated. For any future Toto bashing, be forewarned that "All I wanna do when I wake up in the morning is see your eyes... Rosanna" is not the title of the song "Rosanna."

you hot, girl!

Africa is one of my favorite songs but this is hilarious

that was great lol

Steve Almond is a nut job. THAT. JUST. HAPPENED. What I just said there was even funnier and wittier than anything I've heard in this 9:54 of wasted time I will never get back.

Every once in a while, when I'm feeling low, I listen to Steve Almond trash talk Toto and the world just gets a little better.

~~~ Not much too see in this section apart from few expected butt-hurt Toto fans ~~~

Hahaha, excellent, that's really funny!

i was there silvia what a wonderful experiece hope to meet you in person the next time i go to paris

rolling the camera around like that reminds me of a very stormy atlantic crossing I did in 1964.

I didn't find this funny. Also since when is it a requirement that pop songs make sense?

I visited the shop three times last month (may 2014). I couldn't get enough of it. It has such a relaxed bohemian feel to it. It's full of nooks and crannies with books on the weirdest subjects. It must have been paradise to grow up in that shop. How I envy Sylvia for that. :)

The worst & most over rated bands ever: Toto, ELO, Rush.

This was just such a great deconstruction. You are so funny & witty & intelligent. My heart has sunk a little as my childhood song has now been de-bunked .. I'm happy to fully understand what the song is actually about as I never looked up the lyrics before tonight (that's how I found this talk) But I will forever air drum to toto "I bless the rains down in Africa" Thanks for posting this. I wish there was more of this on current songs .. I think there is so much over looked just because its "catchy" .. Neve mind the racism, sexism & or lack of bloody anything lol. Hehe. Oh Toto .. They must be raking in some royalties over the last few years eh? Hehe. So funny. Love the song though .. Oh what a dilemma I face now!!? Thanks to you Mr Almond! Ha! :))

Don't take yourselves too seriously there, Toto fans...

would have been better without Toto playing in the background, an unnecessary prop....