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.
Waiting
Chris Isaak Lyrics
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Here I stand and I'm waiting down, where I used to meet you down
Where the world was our toy
Here I stand and I'm wondering why, did you ever leave me, why?
Break the heart of that boy
Here I stand with my heart in my hands and I offer love to you
Here I stand with my world gone wrong and I wonder what to do
Here I stand and I'm waiting
Here I stand and I'm waiting
Here I stand with my heart in my hands and I offer love to you
Here I stand with my world gone wrong and I wonder what to do
What to do
Here I stand and I'm waiting
Here I stand and I'm waiting
Oh how I've missed you, I wanted to kiss you
I dreamt that I held you and I lost you again
Lost you again
(Here I stand and I'm waiting)
And I lost you again
(Here I stand and I'm waiting)
And I lost you again
(Waiting)
The lyrics of Chris Isaak's "Waiting" depict the singer's feelings of longing, heartbreak, and confusion as he stands in a place where he used to meet with someone special, wondering why she left him. The song speaks to the universal experience of waiting for someone, hoping they will return, and feeling lost and incomplete without them.
The repetition of "Here I stand and I'm waiting" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's sense of stagnation and immobilization due to his longing. He offers his heart to the person he lost, but also acknowledges that his life has been turned upside down since she left him.
The line "Where the world was our toy" highlights the nostalgia the singer feels for a time when things were simpler and happier. The loss of that joy is felt acutely and leads the singer to question why he was abandoned.
Ultimately, "Waiting" is a poignant reminder of the pain of heartbreak and the lingering effects of love lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I stand and I'm waiting, here I stand and I'm waiting
I'm standing here waiting for you, just as I used to when we met here before.
Where the world was our toy
This place used to represent our carefree, happy times together.
Here I stand and I'm wondering why, did you ever leave me, why?
I can't understand why you would leave me without any explanation, it's breaking my heart.
Break the heart of that boy
Your sudden absence has left me heartbroken and devastated.
Here I stand with my heart in my hands and I offer love to you
I'm still in love with you and willing to do anything to make things work between us.
Here I stand with my world gone wrong and I wonder what to do
Without you in my life, everything feels wrong and I don't know how to cope.
Here I stand and I'm waiting
I'm still waiting here for you to come back to me.
Oh how I've missed you, I wanted to kiss you
I've missed you so much, and all I want is to be close to you again, to feel your love.
I dreamt that I held you and I lost you again
Even in my dreams, I can't keep you from slipping away from me again.
And I lost you again (Waiting)
I feel like I can't move on or find peace until we're together again, but I keep losing you.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind