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.
We Lost Our Way
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then we learned to run
I still don't know what
We're runnin' from
You said you loved me
But you couldn't stay
Oh we lost our way
Down in L.A.
They never warn ya
It just all goes wrong,
It all turned bad
You said that love
Was a funny thing
And you'd move faster
Without a ring
Oh we lost our way
In California
Down in L.A.
Nobody warns ya
It just all goes wrong,
It all turns bad
We searched for something
We could not find
And somehow somewhere
Love got left behind
Yeah we lost our way
In California
Down in L.A.
They barely warn ya
It all goes wrong
Oh it all turns bad
I don't look back
Cause it hurts too much
To see everything that
We just gave up
Oh we lost our way
In California
Down in L.A.
Nobody warns ya
Oh we lost our way
In California
And it all went wrong
It all turned bad
It all went wrong
It all turned bad
Chris Isaak's song "We Lost Our Way" deals with the theme of lost love and the disillusionment that comes with it. The lyrics speak of a relationship that started out with hope and promise, but eventually spiralled down into confusion and failure. The opening lines describe the evolution of the relationship: "We started walkin' / And then we learned to run / I still don't know what / We're runnin' from". The singer is uncertain about why the relationship fell apart, and the following lines paint a picture of a love that was transient and ultimately unsustainable: "You said you loved me / But you couldn't stay / Oh we lost our way".
The setting for this lost love is California, specifically Los Angeles. The chorus continues to recount how the relationship went wrong: "It just all goes wrong, / It all turned bad / You said that love / Was a funny thing / And you'd move faster / Without a ring". The juxtaposition of the bright, sun-drenched California scenery with the darkness of the failed relationship adds to the poignancy of the track. The lyrics end on a nostalgic note, with the singer admitting that it hurts to look back, but the memories of lost love will always linger: "I don't look back / Cause it hurts too much / To see everything that / We just gave up / Oh we lost our way / In California".
Line by Line Meaning
We started walkin'
We began our journey together, taking things slow but surely.
And then we learned to run
Eventually, we became more comfortable with each other and the pace picked up.
I still don't know what
We're runnin' from
Despite how far we've come, I'm not sure what we're seeking or why we're in such a hurry.
You said you loved me
But you couldn't stay
Even though you professed your love for me, ultimately you were unable to make a commitment and stay by my side.
We lost our way
In California
Down in L.A.
They never warn ya
Our relationship took a turn for the worse when we came to California, particularly Los Angeles, and we were not prepared for the challenges that awaited us.
It just all goes wrong,
It all turned bad
Despite our best efforts, things went awry and our relationship fell apart.
You said that love
Was a funny thing
And you'd move faster
Without a ring
You had a nonchalant attitude towards love, and believed that it was better to not be tied down by a commitment like marriage.
We searched for something
We could not find
And somehow somewhere
Love got left behind
We were on a quest to find something meaningful, but we never quite found it, and along the way, our love for each other was lost.
They barely warn ya
No one told us about the potential pitfalls of chasing our dreams in California.
I don't look back
Cause it hurts too much
To see everything that
We just gave up
It's too painful for me to dwell on the past, because I hate to remember how much we sacrificed and lost during our time in California.
Oh we lost our way
In California
The state of California was an unhappy place for our relationship, and we were not able to overcome the obstacles we faced there.
And it all went wrong
It all turned bad
No matter how hard we tried, our relationship fell apart and our dreams of finding happiness in California were dashed.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Hay
Chris writes sad songs. When I see him perform he's so happy.
Yvonne Karlsson
James Hay..
Eva easteood When
Vicki Foster
he writes nothing bad. all his music is awesome!
n07w4tU7hnk
a fave Isaak song to jam to ... love his music
Karin Yckerlöf
Love it!
G LT
Awesome deep cut, wow!!
Esteban Buchszer
The duet he did with #jewel of this song is incredibly good! I think even better than this version
Vicki Foster
except Jewel sucks
Raging Psycho
Zoro songs