This song is about Simon Lebon's friendship with Michael Hutchence of INXS. The song appears on the band's album Medazzaland, which was released in the US, but nowhere else thanks to their goofed up contracts at the time. Medazzaland was released on October 14, 1997. Michael Hutchence died on on November 22, 1997. Duran Duran was on tour at the time; the night of Michael's death they performed an abbreviated, mournful show in Cleveland, Ohio. Numerous songs from the regular set list were cut out (including "So Long Suicide" from Medazzaland) and the entire performance was dedicated to Michael's memory. (thanks, Sarai - New York, NY)
In an interview with Q magazine (February 2008) vocalist Simon Le Bon said: "'Michael, You've Got A Lot To Answer For' was about Michael being a naughty boy in the South of France and London when he was living with Paula (Yates). He did like his substances. I couldn't keep up with him. No way. We all know that Michael liked drugs."
In the same interview, Le Bon revealed that the Medazzaland album was named after the anesthetic he'd been prescribed for his dental work: "It's the name of the state of suspended consciousness you are in when you are given the intravenous sedative midazolam. Yes, I know it sounds a bit wayward, but it's a genuinely weird experience. You are sentient but numb. And afterwards you can't remember a thing that went on."
