Once upon a time I made a lion roar 
He was sleeping in the sunbeams on the old zoo floor
I had gone to see the park where my papa used to play
And it's called called 'Villa Borghese' and it's on the way
Oh, to East Africa

Down on Grand Comoro Island where I grew past four
Well, I could swim and fish and snorkel on the ocean floor
And the wind laughed and the wind laughed through the trees as if to say
Well, here's a child who'll want the world to go his way
Oh, in East Africa, oh, in East Africa

Suddenly for me the world turned upside down 
Far from my friends, the lions and the dolphins, came this awful sound
Dark shadows, sounds of thunder raging over me
Came this monster called 'A-dre-no-leu-ko-dys-tro-phy
Oh, where's my East Africa?

Well they said, they said, they said - the ones who know it all
They said from now on for you there will be no more standing tall
So I took my parents' hands, I lifted my head to say
Well, I'll just have to be a hero, there's no other way, no other way
Oh, back to East Africa
Oh, back to East Africa
Oh, back to East Africa
Back to East Africa
Come with me I'm going back
Going back to East Africa...