Outside

"Outside"
Single by George Michael
from the album Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
Released	October 25, 1998
Format	CD single
Recorded	1998
Genre	Dance-pop
Length	5:21
Label	Epic Records
Writer(s)	George Michael
Producer	George Michael
Certification	Silver (BPI)
George Michael singles chronology
"You Have Been Loved / The Strangest Thing '97" (1997) "Outside" (1998) "As" (with Mary J. Blige) (1999)
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael track listing
"Outside" (1) "As" (2)
Twenty Five track listing
"Spinning the Wheel" (8) "Outside" (9) "As" (10)

"Outside" is a song by George Michael, released on Epic Records in 1998.

History

The song was seen as a fine self-deprecating public relations exercise by Michael, as it was the first single since he was infamously arrested for engaging in a lewd act six months earlier by an undercover police officer in a Beverly Hills public lavatory; an incident which prompted him to declare the homosexuality which had been rumoured for some years but never confirmed.

Michael took a swipe at the incident in the lyrics, claiming he wanted an alfresco sex life because he was bored with lovemaking behind closed doors. Reference to the Beverly Hills affair came with the line "I'd service the community, but I already have, you see" (he was sentenced to 80 hours of community service for the offense) and direct samples of radio reports of his arrest.

Music video

The video was especially satirical, featuring disco ball urinals and policemen kissing.

The beginning of the video features the following texts: "eine fulm bi Hüu Jarss", "mit Klaus Hoöd", "ünde Heidi Kóchenblauer", "ars 'Cindy'", "direktum bi Marchelo Üffenvanken", which is an introduction to the 'movie' consisting mainly of made-up names and words, most likely meant to resemble Swedish or German.

There is also the following narration, in Swedish: "Vem var hon? Vart kom hon ifrån? Hade hon ätit? Då plötslig kom jag ihåg, det var ingen dröm: jag var... i Hollywood!", which roughly translates to "Who was she? Where did she come from? Had she eaten? Then suddenly I recalled, it was no dream: I was... in Hollywood!"

In 1998, Marcelo Rodriguez, the undercover officer who arrested Michael, brought a $10 million court case in California against the singer who has amassed an estimated personal fortune of 70 million pounds ($140 million). The court dismissed the case, but an appeals court reinstated the case on 3 December 2002.^[1]

The court then ruled Rodriguez, as a public official, could not legally recover damages for emotional distress.^[2]

Chart performance

"Outside" reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart; one of many songs to be held off by a seven-week run at the top by Cher with "Believe". It was not featured on a studio album, but was included on his solo hits collection Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael - the title of which was also a sly dig at his activity in the lavatory.

References

1. ^ http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/6BEA0A1BA36F0D2A88256C84000643EA/$file/0056923.pdf?openelement
2. ^ "George Bust 'Bad Karma' Says U.S. Cop", Sunday Star, 5 March 2006