Donna Summer

Released: October 4, 1994

Songwriter: William Dix George Frideric Handel Gloria Shayne Baker Noël Regney

Producer: Michael Omartian

[What Child Is This?]

What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe the son of Mary

[Do You Hear What I Hear?]

(Do you) hear what I hear
(Do you) hear what I hear
(Do you) hear what I hear
(Do you) hear what I hear
(Do you) hear what I hear
(Do you) hear what I hear

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world
(Do you) hear what I hear?

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty King
"So you know what I know?
In your palace warm mighty King
Do you know what I know?
The child the child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light"

(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world
(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world...

[Joy to the World]

Joy to the world the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare him room
And heav'n and nature sing
And heav'n and nature sing
And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing

(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world
(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world
(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world
(Do you) hear what I hear?
Joy to the world
(Somebody gotta tell ya)

Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe the son of Mary...

As the unquestioned queen of disco, the one and only Donna Summer lit up the late 70s and 80s with flashy, exuberant vocals and automatic earworms. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on Dec. 31, 1948, Summer moved to Germany after being cast in a Munich production of Hair. There, she happened to meet Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and the trio conglomerated to form a dynamic music team. With Moroder, Summer forged together her first album, The Hostage, which reached moderate success in Northern Europe. Summer’s big break, however, would come later with the release of 1975’s sexual “Love to Love You Baby”, which became one of disco’s first mainstream hits and reached #2 on the Billboard Charts.

1977 came around with the concept album I Remember Yesterday, which featured the Top 10 single “I Feel Love”. The next year, Summer hit the silver screen with the movie Thank God It’s Friday, whose soundtrack featured one of her own the iconic “Last Dance.” This would later become one of the disco legends' signature songs. “Dance” would take home an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe, and it jumped to a peak of #3 on the charts.

Yet Summer’s illustrious career was far from finished – Summer’s first live album Live and More featured the single “MacArthur Park”, a melting ballad that was a cover of the Jimmy Webb ballad of the same name. “Park” became Summer’s first – and perhaps most memorable – No. 1 hit, and cemented her status as a vocalist as well as a performer. With the track, she became the first female in modern rock history to hold the top spot in both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200. 1979, though, would really be the peak of her career.

more tracks from the album

Christmas Spirit

From the album

Christmas Spirit (1994)

Donna Summer popular songs

Christmas Medley: What Child Is This?/Do You Hear What I Hear?/Joy to the WorldDonna Summer

Donna Summer

Christmas Spirit