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.
Livin' for Your Lover
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm blue, it's just for you.
When I'm sad, it's always you.
Someones' livin' for their lover, someones' livin' for their lover.
Teardrops start, and it breaks my heart.
Teardrops fall, I want to drive ya home.
When your feeling blue, I'm thinking just of you.
And I love her, I love her!
A teardrop starts, and it breaks my heart.
And when a teardrop falls, I want to cry, cry, cry alone.
When your feeling blue, I'm waiting just of you.
Someones' livin' for their lover, someones' livin' for their lover.
And I love her, I love her!
The lyrics of Chris Isaak's song "Livin' for Your Lover" express unrequited love and the pain that comes with it. The lines "When I cry, I cry for you" and "When I'm sad, it's always you" reveal that the singer's emotions are deeply tied to their love for another person. The repetition of the phrase "someones' livin' for their lover" drives home the message that the singer's entire existence is centered around their love, even if it's not reciprocated.
The second verse continues this theme, with the singer's heart breaking at the sight of teardrops falling. The line "I want to drive ya home" suggests that the singer wishes to take care of their love interest, to be there for them even when they're feeling down. The repetition of "I love her" emphasizes the depth of the singer's feelings, despite the pain they're experiencing.
Overall, "Livin' for Your Lover" is a poignant and relatable expression of unrequited love. The lyrics capture the pain, longing, and devotion that often accompany such a situation.
Line by Line Meaning
When I cry, I cry for you.
My tears are shed for you alone, and no one else.
When I'm blue, it's just for you.
My sadness is specifically because of you, and no other reason.
When I'm sad, it's always you.
My constant sorrow is due to thoughts of you and our situation.
Someones' livin' for their lover, someones' livin' for their lover.
Everyone lives for someone they love, and I am no exception.
Teardrops start, and it breaks my heart.
The tears that come from my eyes cause me immense pain.
Teardrops fall, I want to drive ya home.
I wish to provide comfort and support when you are crying.
When your feeling blue, I'm thinking just of you.
Even when you are feeling down, you are always on my mind.
And I love her, I love her!
I am madly in love with this person.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Pritchard, Frank E Wright III, Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind