Hostage
Donna Summer Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lady: Hallo
Kidnapper:
Lady we've just kidnapped your husband
Have $800,000 ready by tomorrow night
And lady no police
Or you'll never see your husband alive again

Lady: Hallo
I remember standing there so petrified
My hand frozen to the phone
As a stranger's words that caught in my ears
And chilled me to the bone
Some dark tragedy had come right home to me
They'd kidnapped my man and his life was in their hands

He was a hostage, a hostage
His life was at the mercy of their hands
He was a hostage, a hostage
His life depending on their gold demands

Lady: Hallo
Kidnapper:
Lady, here's your husband through
To warn not to play any games

Husband:
Hi Honey listen I'm okay
Just make sure you do whatever they tell you
And whatever you do don't go to the police!

Well I couldn't raise that kinda money fast
So I was left no other choice
So I called the police and they came in fast
Saying "leave it up to us
Just do as they told
The ransom's in this bag
We'll watch over you
And we'll have your husband back too"

He was a hostage, a hostage
His life was at the mercy of their hands
He was a hostage, a hostage
His life depending on their gold demands

Lady: Hallo
Kidnapper:
Listen very carefully lady
Drive out to the abandoned shack on Highway 16
Throw the package of money out the window and keep driving
And remember lady no police!

Well my heart was heavy as I made that drive
I was sure something was wrong
I soon found the shack
I threw out the bag and I just kept driving on
Then the shots rang out and turned my car about
On the ground one lay but the other had gotten away

He was a hostage, a hostage
His life was at the mercy of their hands
He was a hostage, a hostage
His life depending on their gold demands

Lady:




Well they found my husband a few days later
Yes, the funeral's tomorrow

Overall Meaning

Donna Summer’s song The Hostage tells the story of a woman whose husband has been kidnapped for ransom. The kidnappers demand $800,000 and threaten to kill her husband if she goes to the police. The woman is left with no other choice and calls the police, who advise her to follow the kidnappers’ demands. With heavy heart, she meets their demands and throws the money out of the car window as instructed. However, shots ring out and the outcome is disastrous, leaving her husband dead and the criminals still on the run.


The lyrics are full of emotions, from fear to desperation to heartbreak. The woman's terror comes through in her voice as she struggles to do everything within her power to save her husband, but ultimately fails. The story behind the lyrics is a reflection of the reality of crime and the helplessness of victims.


One interesting fact about the song is that it was released as a single in 1974, during a time when the country was experiencing an increase in kidnappings. Another interesting fact is that the song was inspired by true events. According to Sommer, she read an article in a newspaper about a similar kidnapping incident and was moved to write the song. The song's powerful lyrics helped raise awareness about the issue of kidnapping and its devastating effects on victims.


Line by Line Meaning

Lady: Hallo
The woman answers the phone and unknowingly initiates an interaction that will have a tremendous impact on her life


Kidnapper: Lady we've just kidnapped your husband
The kidnappers inform the woman that they have taken her husband as their prisoner


Have $800,000 ready by tomorrow night
The kidnappers demand that the woman produce a large sum of money as ransom for her husband's release


And lady no police Or you'll never see your husband alive again
The kidnappers warn the woman against contacting the police, and threaten her husband's life if she disobeys


Lady: Hallo
The woman receives another call from the kidnappers, and is understandably afraid


I remember standing there so petrified My hand frozen to the phone As a stranger's words that caught in my ears And chilled me to the bone
The woman describes her fear and sense of powerlessness in the face of an unknown threat


Some dark tragedy had come right home to me They'd kidnapped my man and his life was in their hands
The woman realizes that her husband's kidnapping is not a far-off event happening to someone else but instead a personal tragedy affecting her very life


He was a hostage, a hostage His life was at the mercy of their hands He was a hostage, a hostage His life depending on their gold demands
The chorus reinforces that her husband is in danger and completely in the kidnappers' power


Lady: Hallo Kidnapper: Lady, here's your husband through To warn not to play any games Husband: Hi Honey listen I'm okay Just make sure you do whatever they tell you And whatever you do don't go to the police!
The kidnappers let the woman speak to her husband, who reassures her but also emphasizes the importance of following the kidnappers' instructions and avoiding police involvement


Well I couldn't raise that kinda money fast So I was left no other choice So I called the police and they came in fast Saying "leave it up to us Just do as they told The ransom's in this bag We'll watch over you And we'll have your husband back too"
The woman decides that paying the ransom is impossible and enlists the help of the police, who work to secure her husband's safe release


Lady: Hallo Kidnapper: Listen very carefully lady Drive out to the abandoned shack on Highway 16 Throw the package of money out the window and keep driving And remember lady no police!
The kidnappers again give the woman a specific set of instructions, stressing the importance of not involving law enforcement


Well my heart was heavy as I made that drive I was sure something was wrong I soon found the shack I threw out the bag and I just kept driving on Then the shots rang out and turned my car about On the ground one lay but the other had gotten away
The woman follows the kidnappers' instructions and delivers the ransom, but things do not go according to plan and she is attacked by the kidnappers


He was a hostage, a hostage His life was at the mercy of their hands He was a hostage, a hostage His life depending on their gold demands
The chorus reiterates the danger and helplessness faced by the kidnapped husband


Well they found my husband a few days later Yes, the funeral's tomorrow
The woman recounts the tragic end of the ordeal, with her husband not surviving the kidnapping




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GIORGIO MORODER, PETE BELLOTTE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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