Donna Summer

Released: October 20, 1980

Songwriter: Donna Summer

Producer: Giorgio Moroder Pete Bellotte

Ran into mother Mary down on line
Street in L.A
She was preaching the gospel
She was singing how Jesus saves
When a crowd of passing tourists
Looked to see what they could see
You know before they know it she had
Them all down on their knees

I believe in Jesus you know I know him
Oh so well
And I'm going to heaven by and by
'cause I already been through hell
I believe in Jesus, in Jesus, in Jesus
I believe in Jesus, in Jesus

So onward Christian soldiers still
Marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus just going on before
Now Jesus was a little lamb, his fleece
Was white as snow
And every where that Jesus went
This lamb is sure to go

Well I believe in Jesus you know I know him
Oh so well
And I'm going to heaven by and by
'cause I saved my soul from going to hell
I believe in Jesus, in Jesus, in Jesus
I believe in Jesus, in Jesus

Look at the sheep 'cause they're
Running fast
They wanna make it through the gates
At last

So onward Christian soldiers still
Marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus just going on before
I believe in Jesus, in Jesus
I believe in Jesus, in Jesus.....

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

The Wanderer

From the album

The Wanderer (1980)

Donna Summer popular songs

I Believe in JesusDonna Summer

Donna Summer

The Wanderer