Donna Summer

Released: October 5, 1981

Songwriter: Donna Summer Pete Bellotte Sylvester Levay

Producer: Giorgio Moroder Pete Bellotte

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Child of freedom still new to this world
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Summer magic my sweet baby sweet girl

All the waiting all the praying
Brought the answer to all of the love we've been saving
All the hoping all the needing
Turned the dream of a vision into a real thing
Mama's happy

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Child of rhythm riding on a moonlit star
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Pretty daughter born with a smile

Daddy felt you 'fore he saw you
Mommy carried you so long
Mimi saw you 'fore she felt you
Four is a family so strong
My baby

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Child of children LA is your home
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Sweetest princess we'll grow as you go

All the waiting all the praying
Brought the answer to all of the love we've been saving
All the hoping all the needing
Turned the dream of a vision into the real thing

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Child of music your song is of love
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Came together and I thank God above

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Child of freedom
Baby your daddy's so proud of you
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Summer magic
Your sister love you too
We're all going to love you yeah
Mommy loves you too

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

I’m a Rainbow

From the album

I’m a Rainbow (1981)

Donna Summer popular songs

BrooklynDonna Summer

Donna Summer

I’m a Rainbow