Donna Summer

Released: August 27, 1975

Songwriter: Giorgio Moroder Pete Bellotte

Producer: Pete Bellotte

If I had known of what would come
I might have walked outta here a lot less harmed
But I'm no lady of the glass
And I can't foretell what will pass

And I went with my defenses down
As your love sent me spinning spinning 'round
Oh you took me to the very top
And then I took a bad (and) long long drop

Oh promises are made to be broken
That's all I ever learned from loving you
And oh when you opened up your love to me
You opened up Pandora's box

Oh promises are made to bend and stretch oh
And end up being really worthless
And oh when I opened up the door to you
I opened up Pandora's box

Just one look and I knew you knew
I was all hung up hung up on loving you
I just put all my trust in love
And I placed a big old bet on lady love
I was sentenced to loving you
And I'm serving time in solitude
Yeah I gave ya everything that I got
And you took it all and walked right off

Oh promises are made to be broken
That's all I ever learned from loving you
And oh when you opened up your love to me
You opened up Pandora's box

Oh promises are made to bend and stretch oh
And end up being really worthless
And oh when I opened up the door to you
I opened up Pandora's box

Just one look and I knew you knew
I was all hung up hung up on loving you
I just put all my trust in love
And I placed a big old bet on lady love

Oh promises are made to be broken
That's all I ever learned from loving you
And oh when you opened up your love to me
You opened up Pandora's box

Oh promises are made to bend and stretch oh
And end up being really worthless
And oh when I opened up the door to you
I opened up Pandora's box

Oh promises are made to be broken
That's all I ever learned from loving you
And oh when you opened up your love to me
You opened up Pandora's box

Oh promises are made to bend and stretch oh
And en up being really worthless

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

Love to Love You Baby

From the album

Love to Love You Baby (1975)

Donna Summer popular songs

Pandora’s BoxDonna Summer

Donna Summer

Love to Love You Baby