Isaak's music can be described as a blend of country, blues, rock'n'roll, pop and surf rock.
He signed a contract to Warner Brothers Records in 1984 for his first album "Silvertone". Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner moved him to their Reprise Records label.
His best-known song is "Wicked Game". Though released on the 1989 album "Heart Shaped World", an instrumental version of the song was later featured in the David Lynch film 'Wild at Heart' (and also years later in the 2000 film The Family Man). An Atlanta radio station DJ began playing the full version and it quickly became a nation-wide top ten hit. The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and was a big MTV and VH1 hit; shot in black and white, it starred Isaak and model Helena Christensen rolling on the beach, embracing and whispering in each others' ears.
In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing" was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film 'Eyes Wide Shut', starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
In 2001, Chris Isaak starred in his own television show, 'The Chris Isaak Show'. It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Chris Isaak and his band playing themselves with the episode plots based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Chris Isaak - the rock star next door.
In 2004, his track "Life Will Go On" was featured on the 'Chasing Liberty' soundtrack, which starred Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.
He hosted a talk show on the Biography cable channel in the United States in 2009 that offered a unique twist - each guest was a musical artist, and both Chris and the artist performed various songs throughout each show. Eight episodes aired in early 2009, featuring guests Trisha Yearwood, Stevie Nicks, Glen Campbell, Michael Buble, Chicago, The Smashing Pumpkins, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and Jewel.
Isaak has also appeared in numerous films, mostly playing minor cameo roles, though he starred with Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda in the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci-directed 'Little Buddha', and also played a major role in David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me' (1992). Other motion pictures include 'Married to the Mob' (1988), 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), 'That Thing You Do!' (1996), and 'A Dirty Shame' (2004). He also guest-starred on the Super Bowl Sunday (1996) edition of the television sitcom Friends and on the HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon (HBO).
Chris is also an amateur boxer, avid surfer and a former Golden Gloves champion.
San Francisco Days
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye
Walking on the beach last night, hoping things would be all right
My baby lying on her bed, it's you I saw instead
Thinking of the one I love, you're know what I'm thinking of
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
I met a girl in Mexico I should of told her then I know
That I still think of you, we never will be through
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
I still love you, I still want you
I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye
Walking down to Market street feeling my heart skip a beat
To see someone who looks like you, I guess that I'm not through
Dreaming of the one I love, you know what I'm dreaming of
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
I'm heading for that Golden Gate hoping I won't be too late
To find the one that I still love
It's you I'm dreaming of
San Francisco nights
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Francisco nights
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Francisco
The lyrics to Chris Isaak's song San Francisco Days describe a scenario where the singer is thinking about an old flame while walking on the beach and encountering a woman who reminds him of the person he still loves. He reminisces about meeting someone else in Mexico but confesses that he should have told her that he still thinks of his former lover. He dreams about her and longs to find her again, heading to the Golden Gate in hopes of a reunion. The repetition of the phrase "San Francisco days, San Francisco nights" brings attention to the setting, suggesting that this former love was experienced in the city known for its romantic and bohemian atmosphere.
The song is about longing for someone who is no longer present in the singer's life, and the nostalgia and yearning for the past are vividly presented through the evocative descriptions of San Francisco. The line "To see someone who looks like you, I guess that I'm not through" conveys the singer's inability to move on from the past, and his continuous thoughts about the person he lost. The song offers an intimate and emotional portrayal of loss and the search for something that is gone, wrapped in the wistful imagery of the San Francisco cityscape.
Line by Line Meaning
I still love you, I still want you
Despite the distance and time apart, the singer still has strong emotions for the person they are addressing in the song.
I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye
The singer still requires the presence of the other person in their life and pleads with them not to leave.
Walking on the beach last night, hoping things would be all right
The singer is on a solitary walk, seeking solace somewhere outside their usual surroundings while feeling anxious about the status of their relationship.
My baby lying on her bed, it's you I saw instead
The singer sees someone who resembles the person they miss and love in their own lover, causing them to feel confused and torn.
Thinking of the one I love, you know what I'm thinking of
The singer reiterates their sentiments for the other person and trusts that they understand.
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
The singer associates their memories and emotions with particular places and times, namely their trip to San Francisco.
I met a girl in Mexico I should of told her then I know
The singer had a chance to make a new connection in Mexico but regrets not being honest about their feelings for the other person.
That I still think of you, we never will be through
The singer confirms their devotion to the other person and their faith that they will overcome any obstacles in their way.
Walking down to Market street feeling my heart skip a beat
The singer is walking alone in a well-known place but is still experiencing strong emotions and reactions because of their feelings of loss and longing.
To see someone who looks like you, I guess that I'm not through
The singer sees someone who reminds them of the person they're thinking of, which only reinforces their feelings and makes them realize they're not yet over them.
Dreaming of the one I love, you know what I'm dreaming of
The singer continues to think and dream about the person they miss and love, stating it outright.
I'm heading for that Golden Gate hoping I won't be too late
The singer is willing to cross over to the other side of the Golden Gate bridge to reconnect with the person they love while worrying that they might already be too late or too far gone.
It's you I'm dreaming of, San Francisco nights
The singer is firm that it's the other person they miss the most and that their shared memories of San Francisco play a major part in their emotions and mental space.
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
The singer concludes once again with the reminder of the associations between their feelings and the city of San Francisco.
San Francisco
A final repetition of the name San Francisco, which can also be interpreted as a continued musing and meditation on the subject at hand.
San Francisco nights
A final repetition of 'nights' serves to elevate the mood and emphasize the mysterious pull and power of night-time experiences in San Francisco specifically.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind