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.
Black Flowers
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just remember what your mother said.
Don't you worry, don't you cry.
Little black flowers grow, in the sky.
In the sky.
Make a promise, cross your heart.
Kings vow that we'll never part.
Little black flowers grow, in the sky.
In the sky.
And I believed you.
I believed you when you said you would be mine.
Tell me mother, will I die.
Yes my child and so shall I.
And never know the reason why,
little black flowers grow, in the sky.
In the sky.
And I believed you.
I believed you when you said you'd cried,
believed you when you said you'd try,
believed you when you said you loved me too.
I believed you.
Chris Isaak's song Black Flowers paints a haunting picture of innocence in the face of mortality. The song begins with the imagery of children lying in their beds, and the comforting words of their mothers to not worry or cry. However, the song takes a dark turn with the lyrics "little black flowers grow, in the sky" repeated twice. These flowers represent death, and subtly introduce the theme of mortality that runs throughout the rest of the song.
Isaak weaves in a promise, a vow, and a sign in blood, all indicating an unbreakable bond between two people. However, the little black flowers still grow, looming over every line like a specter. The lyrics suggest that even the strongest bonds will not prevent the inevitability of death, represented by the flowers that grow in the sky.
The song concludes with a conversation between a child and their mother about death. The answer to the child's inquiry about whether they will die is a simple yes. This exchange serves as a reminder that death is an inescapable part of the human experience, and the little black flowers will always be there, growing in the sky.
Line by Line Meaning
Children lying in there beds.
Innocent children sleeping peacefully in their beds.
Just remember what your mother said.
A mother's wise words of advice need to be remembered.
Don't you worry, don't you cry.
There is no need to be scared or sad.
Little black flowers grow, in the sky.
In the midst of beauty, there is always a hint of darkness.
Make a promise, cross your heart.
A solemn vow made with complete honesty and sincerity.
Kings vow that we'll never part.
A pledge made between two people never to leave each other's side.
Sign in blood and hope to die.
A promise worth dying for, sealed with their own blood.
And I believed you.
The trust put in someone was genuine and complete.
Tell me mother, will I die.
An innocent question regarding the inevitability of death.
Yes my child and so shall I.
The mother has accepted their fate along with their child's.
And never know the reason why,
Death remains a mystery that no one can ever fully comprehend.
little black flowers grow, in the sky.
Even in death, there is a certain beauty to be found.
I believed you when you said you would be mine.
The trust put in someone who promised to belong to you was genuine and complete.
believed you when you said you'd cried,
The belief that someone was capable of feeling intense emotions with you was genuine and complete.
believed you when you said you'd try,
The faith that someone was committed to making things work was genuine and complete.
believed you when you said you loved me too.
The trust put in someone who claimed to love you was genuine and complete.
I believed you.
The trust put in someone was genuine and complete.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind