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.
Cheater
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every place I go just bringing me down
I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
I got a broken heart, torn all in two
Cause every place I look, I picture him and you
And I don't know when, I don't know if
Yeah baby you lied to me, you lied to me
You stood there you smiled you opened your heart and you lied
And I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
Ever coming home
I'm driving slow, don't know where I'm going
I thought you loved me too, but I was always alone
I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
I don't know
I got a broken heart, torn all in two
Cause everything I had, I gave it all to you
And I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
Coming home
Coming home
Oh baby you lied to me, you lied to me
You opened up your little black heart and you smiled and you lied
And I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
Oh, I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
Oh, I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
Coming home
The lyrics to Chris Isaak's "Cheater's Town" express the heartbreak and confusion experienced by someone who has been lied to and cheated on in a romantic relationship. The song takes place in a town of cheaters where the singer is riding around, feeling down and brokenhearted. Everywhere the singer goes, they are reminded of the person who betrayed them. The singer is unsure if they will come back home because the pain of the lies is so intense.
In the second verse, the singer reveals that they thought their partner loved them too, but they were always alone. They gave everything they had to the relationship, but it still ended in deceit. The repetition of "I don't know when, I don't know if I'm ever coming home" emphasizes the uncertainty and despair the singer feels as they try to navigate their heartbreak.
Overall, "Cheater's Town" is a poignant and relatable exploration of the aftermath of infidelity. Isaak's mournful vocals and simple yet effective instrumentation creates a haunting atmosphere, which perfectly captures the raw emotions of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm riding around this cheater's town
I am moving around in a place where infidelity is prevalent.
Every place I go just bringing me down
Every location I visit creates a feeling of sadness.
I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
I am uncertain about my return to my residence.
I got a broken heart, torn all in two
My heart is broken in half due to pain.
Cause every place I look, I picture him and you
Everywhere I glance, I visualize you and him together.
Yeah baby you lied to me, you lied to me
You stood there you smiled you opened your heart and you lied
You deceived me with a false smile and an open heart.
I'm driving slow, don't know where I'm going
I am moving slowly without any direction.
I thought you loved me too, but I was always alone
I assumed you had an affection for me, but I have always been by myself.
I don't know
I have no idea.
Cause everything I had, I gave it all to you
I donated everything I owned to you.
Oh baby you lied to me, you lied to me
You opened up your little black heart and you smiled and you lied
You revealed your dark secrets with a smile and lied to me.
Oh, I don't know when, I don't know if
I'm ever coming home
Coming home
I am still uncertain about my return to my residence.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind