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.
Somebody's Crying
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They lie awake at night and dream of you
I bet you never even know they do but somebody's crying
I know somebody and they called your name
A million times and still you never came
They go on loving you just the same I know that somebody's trying
Or please let me know if it can't be me I know when
Somebody's lying, I know when somebody's lying
I know that somebody's lying, I know that somebody's lying
Give me a sign and let me know we're through
If you don't love me like I love you
But if you cry at night the way I do I'll know that somebody's lying
So please, return the love you took from me
Or please, let me know if it can't be me
I know when somebody's lying, I know when somebody's lying
Oh I
Oh I
The lyrics of Chris Isaak's song Somebody's Crying describe a situation where the singer knows someone who loves another person deeply, but that love is not reciprocated. The person who is in love with someone else cries every night and dreams of the person they love, while that person is unaware of their feelings. The singer knows that this person is trying to hold on to their love, but it is evident that they are not being loved back.
The singer then pleads with the person they love to either return the love that they had received or to make clear if they cannot be with them. The singer is able to identify when someone is lying to them and knows when it is happening in this situation. The lyrics also suggest that if the person they love cries at night like they do, it means that somebody is lying about their feelings.
The song Somebody's Crying was released by Chris Isaak in 1995 and was a part of his studio album Forever Blue. The song was written by Isaak himself and produced by Erik Jacobsen. The song peaked at number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained on the chart for 16 weeks.
Line by Line Meaning
I know somebody and they cry for you
There's someone out there who cries for you when they think of you.
They lie awake at night and dream of you
This person can't sleep at night because they dream about you.
I bet you never even know they do but somebody's crying
This person hides their feelings for you so well that you don't even know how much they care.
I know somebody and they called your name
This person has called out your name so many times.
A million times and still you never came
Despite calling out to you so much, you still never show up.
They go on loving you just the same I know that somebody's trying
Even though you don't respond to their love, this person still loves you just the same.
So please return the love you took from me
If you can't return my love, at least acknowledge my feelings.
Or please let me know if it can't be me I know when
If it's not me you love, at least tell me the truth.
Somebody's lying, I know when somebody's lying
I can tell when someone is lying to me about their true feelings.
Give me a sign and let me know we're through
If you don't love me, just tell me and let me move on.
If you don't love me like I love you
If you can't love me the way I love you, just let me go.
But if you cry at night the way I do I'll know that somebody's lying
If you claim not to love me but cry at night about me, I'll know you're lying.
Oh I
This is just a vocalization with no inherent meaning.
Oh I
This is just a vocalization with no inherent meaning.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kab1159
Another classic by Chris Isaak. An artist who is loved by many but has not received the acclaim he is due, IMHO.
@davidschlessinger9945
true
@jodie3278
The voice is unmistakable. One of the best ever.
@Rudeboi0417
I always thought it was Roy orbinson
@pauljordan4452
@@Rudeboi0417A blend of Roy and Elvis. Buddy, my young lady friend left me so I'm living the song lyrics.
@fireraven7728
This song just came into my head after not hearing it or even thinking about it for decades - love how music can do that
@benchbenchington4099
Same here. I've been listening to it everyday for the past 3 weeks
@S.C.-wo8hq
Same. And I wasn't even an adult when this came out. Early teens maybe.
@katiemurphy4172
Same here, idk why
@clintonclarke491
Awsome