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.
Breaking Apart
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be okay without you .
I'll be fine.
I'll be alright.
I'll find some one new without you.
Somebody just like you but not you.
I'll be alright.
But
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
I hardly ever think about you.
I said I'd call but I don't need to.
I'll be fine.
I've got so much to do without you.
I said that I'd be lost without you.
I'll be fine.
Just give me time.
Cause
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
And I'm hoping, you're doing fine too
I don't want to sleep without you.
Dreams don't mean a thing without you.
I feel so alone without you.
Baby come back I need you.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
And I'm wondering, if you're doing fine too.
The song "Breaking Apart" by Chris Isaak is a poignant expression of the pain and loneliness someone feels after a breakup, while also attempting to convince themselves that they will be okay. The first verse sets the stage for the song's theme, with the singer acknowledging that they will be fine without their ex-partner and even find someone new that is just like them. The chorus, however, reveals the truth: the singer is breaking apart inside and crying themselves to sleep at night. They admit that they are not as strong as they pretended to be and desperately need their partner back. The second verse continues with the same theme of trying to move on without their partner but ultimately failing, as the singer realizes they are alone without them.
The bridge of the song is particularly heartbreaking, as the singer hopes that their ex-partner is also doing well and thinking of them. They express their need for their partner, saying that dreams are meaningless without them, and finish the song by repeating the chorus.
The song effectively captures the pain of a breakup, as well as the conflicting emotions of wanting to move on while still desperately needing someone. The simple, acoustic guitar and Chris Isaak's sorrowful voice contribute to the emotional power of the song, making it a standout on his album "Always Got Tonight."
Line by Line Meaning
Just another day without you.
I am used to living my life without you.
I'll be okay without you.
I will not let your absence affect me emotionally.
I'll be fine.
I will adjust to living without you.
I'll be alright.
I will be able to move on from our relationship.
I'll find some one new without you.
I will eventually find another person to fill the void you left, although they will not be you.
Somebody just like you but not you.
I will look for someone who has similar qualities to you but is not you.
Say I'll be alright.
Reassure me that I'll be okay without you.
But
I'm breaking apart inside.
Despite what I tell myself, I am struggling emotionally without you.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I am so affected by your absence that I cry myself to sleep.
I'm breaking apart without you.
I feel like I am falling apart without you in my life.
I hardly ever think about you.
I try not to think about you in order to move on with my life.
I said I'd call but I don't need to.
I promise to keep in touch, but I realize I don't need to anymore.
I've got so much to do without you.
I have a lot of things to focus on in my life and I do not need you to do them.
I said that I'd be lost without you.
I initially thought I couldn't function without you, but I was wrong.
Just give me time.
I need time to heal and move on from our relationship.
And I'm hoping, you're doing fine too
I hope that you are also doing well without me in your life.
I don't want to sleep without you.
I have trouble sleeping without you by my side.
Dreams don't mean a thing without you.
My dreams don't feel important or fulfilling without you being a part of them.
I feel so alone without you.
I feel lonely and empty without you in my life.
Baby come back I need you.
Despite trying to move on, I miss you and wish you would come back.
And I'm wondering, if you're doing fine too.
I am curious about how you are coping without me in your life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Realsongs, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DIANE WARREN, CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Malik Alex
Just another day without you.
I'll be okay without you .
I'll be fine.
I'll be alright.
I'll find some one new without you.
Somebody just like you but not you.
I'll be alright.
Say I'll be alright.
But
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
I hardly ever think about you.
I said I'd call but I don't need to.
I'll be fine.
I've got so much to do without you.
I said that I'd be lost without you.
I'll be fine.
Just give me time.
Cause
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
And I'm hoping, you're doing fine too
I don't wanna sleep without you.
Dreams don't mean a thing without you.
I feel so alone without you.
Baby come back I need you.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
And I'm wondering, if you're doing fine too.
Richard Mestis
When I first heard Chris's original version I thought it was the perfect "breakup" song. This rendition takes it beyond perfection.
Gary T
Great harmony! Anything trisha sings turns a song into something beautiful and Chris works his magic too!!
Saundra Waller
This is beautiful! I've never heard it before.
Jessica E
Gorgeous song....
Leon Horder
such a beautiful song
Peter Adams
What a beautiful song
Malik Alex
Just another day without you.
I'll be okay without you .
I'll be fine.
I'll be alright.
I'll find some one new without you.
Somebody just like you but not you.
I'll be alright.
Say I'll be alright.
But
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
I hardly ever think about you.
I said I'd call but I don't need to.
I'll be fine.
I've got so much to do without you.
I said that I'd be lost without you.
I'll be fine.
Just give me time.
Cause
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
And I'm hoping, you're doing fine too
I don't wanna sleep without you.
Dreams don't mean a thing without you.
I feel so alone without you.
Baby come back I need you.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I'm breaking apart inside.
I cry in my sleep at night.
I'm breaking apart without you.
And I'm wondering, if you're doing fine too.
David
The duet of "Breaking Apart" with Trisha Yearwood is on Chris Isaak's 2009 release "Mr. Lucky". His original, solo version is on "Speak of the Devil" (1998).
Jessica E
I have this Cd but have to skip this song or else I just know I will start crying....... Always driving & gotta drive safe.... Can only handle this song when I am not driving.....
alan guttenfelder
Like no chart action for this great duet. smh