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.
Dancin'
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing left to say, nothing left to do
I find myself alone, I'm thinking just of you
You got me dancin'
Dancin'
Why don't you help me?
Why don't you guide me?
Why don't you promise?
To stand beside me
There's once a man in a foreign land
In love with a woman who didn't understand
Love is not a thing you command
Love is something that keeps you and keeps you
Dancin'
Dancin'
Why don't you help me?
Why don't you guide me?
Why don't you promise?
To stand beside me
I keep on dancin'
Dancin'
Nothing left to say, nothing left to do
I find myself alone, thinking just of you
You've got me dancin'
Dancin'
Why don't you help me?
Why don't you guide me?
Why don't you promise?
To stand beside me
Dancin'
Dancin'
Dancin'
You've got me
Oh, help me
Guide me
Why don't you promise
To stand beside me
Help me, oh
The lyrics of the song "Dancin'" by Chris Isaak describe the feeling of being alone and reminiscing about someone special who is not there anymore. The persona is dancing alone and thinking about this person who has captured their heart, even though there is nothing left to say or do. The persona is asking for guidance and promises from this person to stand by their side while they dance together. The lyrics also reference a man who was in love with a woman in a foreign land but who didn't understand that love cannot be commanded, it is just something that keeps you dancing.
The song gives a sense of longing and nostalgia. The idea of dancing alone conveys a feeling of sadness and emptiness, yet the general theme is hopeful. The persona is still dancing, still hoping that this person will come back and stand by them. The repeated line "why don't you help me?" expresses a deep desire for companionship and support.
Overall, the lyrics of "Dancin'" are about the power of love, how it can keep you going even in the toughest times, and the longing for the person who holds your heart. It is a song that can resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak or longing for someone who is no longer there.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep on dancin', dancin'
The singer is continuously dancing.
Nothing left to say, nothing left to do
The singer has nothing else to say or do other than dance.
I find myself alone, I'm thinking just of you
The singer is alone, but thinking about someone they love.
You got me dancin',
Dancin'
The person the artist loves makes them want to dance.
Why don't you help me?
The artist wants the person they love to help them in some way.
Why don't you guide me?
The singer wants the person they love to show them the way.
Why don't you promise?
To stand beside me
The singer wants a commitment from the person they love to always be with them.
There's once a man in a foreign land
In love with a woman who didn't understand
Love is not a thing you command
Love is something that keeps you and keeps you
Dancin'
The artist tells a story of a man in love with a woman who did not reciprocate his feelings. The chorus repeats that love is something that makes you dance, and cannot be commanded or forced.
I keep on dancin'
Dancin'
The artist repeats that they are still dancing.
You've got me dancin'
Dancin'
The person the artist loves still makes them want to dance.
Dancin'
Dancin'
Why don't you help me?
Why don't you guide me?
Why don't you promise?
To stand beside me
The chorus repeats, asking the person the singer loves to help them, guide them, and promise to always be with them.
Dancin'
Dancin'
Dancin'
You've got me
Oh, help me
Guide me
Why don't you promise
To stand beside me
Help me, oh
The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, expressing the artist's desire for the person they love to be with them and help them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind