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.
I'm Not Waiting
Chris Isaak Lyrics
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I have pictures in my troubled past,
And their shaped like broken glass.
I have memories I kept of you,
I return them with goodbyes.
Cause I'm not waiting for you anymore,
I don't care what might have been.
I'm not waiting for you anymore,
[Chorus]
But in my heart, my heart, I know that though I go I'll love you still.
But in my heart, my heart, I know that though I go I always will.
I'm not waiting, I'm not waiting.
I still think about what used to be,
I have dreams that might have been.
Someone else will walk beside you soon,
Now I know my love can't win.
So I'm not waiting for you anymore,
I don't care what might have been.
I'm not waiting for you anymore,
I give up so why pretend?
[Chorus]
The song "I'm Not Waiting" by Chris Isaak is about letting go of a past love and moving on. The persona in the song has been trapped in a cycle of holding onto memories and pictures of the one they loved, but they have come to accept that the relationship is over and it's time to move on. The opening line "I'm not waiting, I'm not waiting" shows that the persona has made a decision to let go and stop holding on to what is no longer there.
The lyrics speak of memories shaped like broken glass, which can be interpreted as something that was once beautiful and has now been shattered. It's a strong metaphor for the pain and hurt the persona has experienced as they hold on to memories that no longer serve them. They return these memories with goodbyes, suggesting that they have made peace with the past and are ready to move on.
The chorus of the song, however, reveals that the persona will always love the person they're leaving behind. It's a recognition that love doesn't always fade away just because a relationship ends. The final line, "I'm not waiting, I'm not waiting," reiterates the persona's decision to let go of what is no longer serving them.
Overall, "I'm Not Waiting" is a poignant song about accepting the end of a relationship and moving on, with an acknowledgment that even though the love may still be there, it's time to let go.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not waiting, I'm not waiting.
I am done with waiting for you.
I have pictures in my troubled past,
My past is filled with distressing memories that I can't forget.
And their shaped like broken glass.
My memories are sharp and painful, like shards of broken glass.
I have memories I kept of you,
I hold onto memories of you.
I return them with goodbyes.
But now I am saying goodbye and leaving those memories behind.
Cause I'm not waiting for you anymore,
I have given up on waiting for you.
I don't care what might have been.
I am not interested in wondering what could have been between us anymore.
I'm not waiting for you anymore,
I have moved on from waiting for you.
I give up my love can't win.
I surrender, my love for you was not meant to be.
But in my heart, my heart, I know that though I go I'll love you still.
Even though I have moved on, I still hold love for you in my heart.
But in my heart, my heart, I know that though I go I always will.
My love for you will never completely vanish, even if I move on.
I still think about what used to be,
I cannot help but reminisce about what once was between us.
I have dreams that might have been.
I still dream about what might have happened if things were different.
Someone else will walk beside you soon,
I know that someone else will come into your life soon and walk with you.
Now I know my love can't win.
I have come to the realization that my love for you cannot succeed.
So I'm not waiting for you anymore,
I am done waiting for you to come around.
I give up so why pretend?
I am done with pretending that things could work out between us.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind