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.
Crazy Arms
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a storm brewin' in this heart of mine.
This ain't no crazy dream, I know that it's real.
You're someone else's love now, you're not mine!
Crazy arms that seek to hold somebody new,
But my burnin' heart keeps sayin' you're not mine!
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed,
Please take these treasured dreams I had for you and me,
And take all the love I thought was mine,
This ain't no crazy dream, I know that it's real,
And that's why I'm lonely all the time!
Crazy arms that seek to hold somebody new,
But my burnin' heart keeps sayin' you're not mine!
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed,
And that's why I'm lonely all the time.
The song "Crazy Arms" by Chris Isaak features lyrics that describe the feeling of heartbreak and loneliness after losing someone to another person. The first stanza sets the scene with the singer acknowledging that his heart is stormy and tumultuous, suggesting that the pain he feels is overwhelming. The lyrics "blue ain't the word for the way that I feel" implies that the sadness he feels is deeper and more profound than ordinary sadness. The singer also points out that the situation is not a dream but a reality, indicating that his suffering is not fleeting or imagined but genuine.
The second stanza describes the singer's struggle to reconcile with the reality that his love interest is with someone else. The lyrics "crazy arms that seek to hold somebody new" suggests that he's trying to find someone else to ease his loneliness and fill the void left by his lost love, but his "burning heart keeps saying you're not mine," indicating that he's still hung up on his former lover. He resignedly accepts that his ex-girlfriend will soon marry someone else, leading him to feel lonely all the time. The saddened protagonist ends with a plea to his lost love to take his dreams and love and leave him alone.
In conclusion, "Crazy Arms" is a poignant song that captures the feeling of heartbreak and the aftermath of lost love. The lyrics express the struggles of trying to move on from someone who's already moved on with someone else, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, blue ain't the word for the way that I feel,
My emotions are too complex to be described by just one color, but if I had to choose one it would be blue.
There's a storm brewin' in this heart of mine.
My heart is full of turmoil and strong feelings, like a storm brewing inside me.
This ain't no crazy dream, I know that it's real.
This is not just a figment of my imagination, I know that it is a real situation that I am dealing with.
You're someone else's love now, you're not mine!
You have moved on and are now in a relationship with someone else, I am no longer your love.
Crazy arms that seek to hold somebody new,
My arms are reaching out for someone new, someone to fill the void left by you.
But my burnin' heart keeps sayin' you're not mine!
Even though I am trying to move on, my heart still longs for you and tells me that you are not mine.
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed,
I am aware that you are going to marry someone else soon, and it is causing me distress.
And that's why I'm lonely all the time.
Because of all these feelings and the knowledge that we are no longer together, I am constantly lonely and sad.
Please take these treasured dreams I had for you and me,
I am willing to let go of the dreams and hopes I had for our future together, and give them to you.
And take all the love I thought was mine,
I am willing to give away all the love I had for you, even though it hurts me to do so.
And that's why I'm lonely all the time!
Despite my attempts to move on and let go, my heart and mind are still consumed by thoughts of you, leaving me feeling lonely constantly.
Crazy arms that seek to hold somebody new,
Again, my arms are reaching out for someone new to love and hold, but I am having difficulty finding anyone to fill the void.
But my burnin' heart keeps sayin' you're not mine!
Even though I am trying to move on, my heart still yearns for you and tells me that I am not over you.
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed,
The knowledge that you are going to marry someone else soon is causing me great distress and sadness.
And that's why I'm lonely all the time.
All of these emotions and thoughts are keeping me perpetually lonely and unhappy.
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
matt collier
Awesome version of a Jerry Lee Lewis classic, great authentic 50s sound
peg calcari
Chris is the best!!!!
C Synch
Worthy rendition, but it ain't Ray or Jerry Lee.