In 1978,
Donna Summer released this song from the film
Thank God, It's Friday. It won an
Academy Award for
Best Song. It later appeared as a live track on her double album,
Live and More, which solidly made her a superstar.
The song's structure is built on a classic Donna Summer formula: a slow, subdued intro that deftly develops into a rapid disco beat. This formula proved to catapult a future song, MacArthur Park, to #1 status. The lyrics hint at the overt sexuality that brought her recognition before (I need you ... to scold me/cause when I'm bad/I'm so, so bad). The subject matter made it prime club material, but on a somewhat deeper level, dancing could be construed as a metaphor (I need you by me/Beside me, to guide me).
Let's dance this last dance tonight.