‘Wicked Game’ is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third album, Heart Shaped World (1989). Released as a single in July 1989, it became a sleeper hit after being featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart, starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song, and it quickly became an American top-10 hit in January 1991, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, the single became a number-one hit in Belgium and reached the top 10 in several other nations.
‘Wicked Game’ is a tale of obsessive love. Chris Isaak spoke to Songfacts about the late-night event which inspired the song: "This one I wrote really late at night and it was written in a short time, because I remember that a girl had called me and said, 'I want to come over and talk to you,' and 'talk' was a euphemism. And she said, 'I want to come over and talk to you until you're no longer able to stand up.' And I said, 'Okay, you're coming over.' And as soon as I hung up I thought, 'Oh, my God. I know she's gonna be trouble. She's always been trouble. She's a wildcat. And here I am, I'm going to get killed, but I'm doing this.' And I wrote 'Wicked Game': 'world's on fire and no one can save me but you.' It's like you start thinking about it, and by the time she came over to the house, I had the song written. And I think she was probably upset because I was more excited by the song. (Laughing) I was like, 'Yes, you're gorgeous, baby. But listen to this song!'"
Isaak explained that ‘Wicked Game’ came to him effortlessly: "I think that sometimes you get easy ones that come very quick and you're really glad - you go, 'Wow, where'd this come from?' It's so fast to write. And then there's other songs that you do and it's like doing your homework. It's like you really are working and biting the pencil and working on that third verse. Most of the time you do work. But sometimes you get lucky."
‘Wicked Game’ has been covered by many other artists and been featured in numerous movies and television series and advertisements, so much so that Dazed magazine questioned whether it might be the most influential love song in modern music. It has subsequently received retrospective critical acclaim, being listed in the 2010 book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, and noted by Dave Marsh in an updated edition of his 1989 book The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.
There are two different music videos for this song. The more well-known video was directed by Herb Ritts and shot in Hawaii at what was formerly known as Kamoamoa Beach in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The newly formed black-sand beach was created from lava from Kilauea volcano flowing into the ocean about a mile away. The beach was covered by lava not long after the video was shot. The video features supermodel Helena Christensen rolling and frolicking on the beach with Isaak. It was mostly filmed in black and white. It was ranked number 13 on VH1's "100 Greatest Videos", number four on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments", number 73 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos", number one on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 30 Sexiest Music Videos of All Time", and number one on Fuse's "40 Sexiest Videos" in 2010.
Label – Reprise
Songwriter – Chris Isaak
Producer – Erik Jacobsen
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
[Chorus]
No, I don't wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I don't wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
With you (With you)
(This world is only gonna break your heart)
[Verse 2]
What a wicked game to play
To make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say
You never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do
To make me dream of you
[Chorus]
And I don't wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I don't wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
With you
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
[Chorus]
No, I don't wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I don't wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
With you (With you)
(This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I— (This world is only gonna break your heart)
(This world is only gonna break your heart)
[Outro]
Nobody loves no one