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.
Ring of Fire
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bound by wild desire I fell into a ring of fire
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down down down and the flames grew higher
And it burns burns burns the ring of fire, the ring of fire
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down down down and the flames grew higher
And it burns burns burns the ring of fire, the ring of fire
The taste of love is sweet when hearts like ours meet
I fell for you just like a child oh but the fire went wild
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down down down and the flames grew higher
And it burns burns burns the ring of fire, the ring of fire
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down down down and the flames grew higher
And it burns burns burns the ring of fire, the ring of fire
The song "Ring of Fire" by Chris Isaak is actually a cover of the original song written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore, which was performed and made famous by Johnny Cash. The song is about love and the intensity of the emotions that come with it, using the metaphor of a burning ring of fire to represent the passion and desire that can consume a person. The first verse sets the stage for the rest of the song, describing how love is like a fire that burns and consumes everything in its path.
The second verse describes the singer's personal experience with this intense passion, as they fell into the burning ring of fire themselves. The repetition of the phrase "down down down and the flames grew higher" emphasizes the feeling of being consumed by the fire, with no escape. The chorus repeats the imagery of the burning ring of fire and how it continues to burn and consume even as the singer falls deeper into it.
The bridge of the song brings a contrast to the intense passion of the first half, with the singer describing the sweetness of love when two hearts meet. However, this sweetness is short-lived, as the fire of passion quickly grows out of control, burning wildly like a child's uncontrollable energy. The song ends with a final repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the inescapable and all-consuming nature of passionate love.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is a burning thing, it burns this fiery ring
Love is intense and passionate, and it feels like a fiery ring burning around us.
Bound by wild desire I fell into a ring of fire
My strong desire for you made me fall deeply in love, but it also feels like I've fallen into a dangerous and consuming ring of fire.
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down down down and the flames grew higher
And it burns burns burns the ring of fire, the ring of fire
I'm trapped in this all-consuming love, and it feels like I'm falling deeper and deeper into a fiery pit that's burning me alive.
The taste of love is sweet when hearts like ours meet
When two people who love each other come together, there is a sweetness and joy that is unlike anything else in the world.
I fell for you just like a child oh but the fire went wild
I fell in love with you like a naive and innocent child, but the passion and intensity of our love quickly spiraled out of control and became overwhelming.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: June Carter, Merle Kilgore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind