Outside (song)
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- For the Staind single, see Outside (Staind song).
Outside was a song written and performed by George Michael and released on Epic Records in 1998.
The song was seen as a fine self-deprecating public relations exercise by George, 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.
George 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" (he was sentenced to 80 hours' community service for the offence) and direct samples of radio reports of his arrest. The video was especially satirical, featuring disco ball urinals and policemen kissing.
The police officer who arrested him, Marcelo Rodridguez, filed a lawsuit, claiming the video mocked him. Initially it was dismissed, but the appeals court reopened the case in 2002.
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 did not feature 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.
