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.
Cryin'
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You tell me stories that I wish were true.
But I know better than believe in you.
I keep on cryin', I keep on cryin'
You talk in circles and you laugh at sin.
I think it's over then it starts again.
I keep on cryin', I keep on cryin.
I keep on cryin'. Cry, cry,
Oh mama save my soul, say you won't hurt me no more.
I keep on cryin', I keep on cryin.
You say that you need me, that you'd never leave me cryin'!
I keep on cryin'. Cry, cry, you make it easy to cry.
Oh mama save my soul, oh mama save my soul.
Keep on cryin', keep on cryin', keep on cryin', cry
The lyrics of Chris Isaak's song, Cryin', convey the theme of emotional pain and heartbreak. In the first two lines, he talks about someone telling him stories that he wished were true, but he knows better than to believe this person. This suggests that the person may have lied to him before and he has been hurt because of it. The pain of this betrayal is evident in his repetition of the phrase "I keep on cryin'" throughout the song.
The next two lines, "You talk in circles and you laugh at sin. I think it's over then it starts again," depict the frustration of being in a toxic relationship with someone who takes pleasure in causing harm. He longs for this person to stop hurting him and for his pain to end, but it seems to be a never-ending cycle.
The chorus expresses his desire for his mother to save him from the pain and hurt he is experiencing. He talks about how this person has hurt him repeatedly despite claiming to love and need him. The repetition of "cry, cry" and "keep on cryin'" emphasizes the intensity and depth of his pain. The song ends with him still crying, unable to find comfort or relief from his heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
Cry, cry
The singer is crying.
You tell me stories that I wish were true.
The person the singer is talking to is telling lies or exaggerating the truth.
But I know better than believe in you.
The singer is aware that the stories being told are not truthful.
I keep on cryin', I keep on cryin'
The artist keeps crying despite the lies being told.
You talk in circles and you laugh at sin.
The person the artist is talking to is evasive and immoral.
I think it's over then it starts again.
The cycle of lies and deceit repeats.
I keep on cryin', I keep on cryin'.
The singer continues to cry despite hoping for a change in the situation.
You say that you love me, that you'd never leave me cryin'!
The person the artist is talking to is promising love and loyalty but has not followed through with those promises.
I keep on cryin'. Cry, cry,
The artist continues to cry despite the promises.
Oh mama save my soul, say you won't hurt me no more.
The artist is asking for help and protection from emotional pain and betrayal.
You say that you need me, that you'd never leave me cryin'!
The person the singer is talking to is stating dependency and loyalty but has not followed through with those promises.
I keep on cryin'. Cry, cry, you make it easy to cry.
The artist feels emotionally drained and vulnerable in the situation.
Oh mama save my soul, oh mama save my soul.
The singer continues to ask for help and protection.
Keep on cryin', keep on cryin', keep on cryin', cry
The cycle of emotional pain and crying continues.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFF PARIS, GREGG ALAN TRIPP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MG
Great song!
Ahoy Captain
Great album