Donna Summer

Released: August 23, 1991

Songwriter: Keith Diamond Donna Wyant Donna Summer Anthony L. Smith

Producer: Keith Diamond

(Talk)
You know what?
I think I'm gonna run for President
Well, I think I'm just gonna run
L think l'll run for President

(Chorus):
(what is it you want?) (x2)

Everybody wants somebody sometime (x2)

(Jam):
You say, you say, you say, you say you want love
You say, you say, you say, you say you want me
You say, you say, you say, you say you want money
You say, you say, you want to be free

Everybody wants somebody sometime
Everybody needs somebody sometime

(Chorus x2):
(Talk):
If I was a President you know what I'd do?
I'd say to all the people
What would I do for you?

(Chorus):
What is it you want?
What is it you need?
What is it you want?
What do you want from me?
Sometime...

Everybody wants somebody sometime (x2)

(Chorus):
What is it you want?
What is it you need? (x2)

(Talk):
Is it money?
Yeahhhhh
Is it power?
Yeahhhhh
What about love?
Oooohhhh
A new car?
Yeahhhhh

(Talk):
You know, if I was President
I'd ask all the people what they want
I'd try to find out what the people want

You can't get something for nothing (x4)

Everybody wants somebody sometime
Everybody wants somebody sometime

You can't get something for nothing (x4)

(Chorus):
Everybody wants somebody sometime
Everybody needs somebody sometime

((Talk):
If your think you can get it for nothing
Well baby you're mistaken
'cause in this whole life
You can't get something for nothing, no, no
You can't get something for nothing...

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

Mistaken Identity

From the album

Mistaken Identity (1991)

Donna Summer popular songs

What Is It You WantDonna Summer

Donna Summer

Mistaken Identity