Songfacts®:

• This was one of the last INXS singles released during the lifetime of frontman Michael Hutchence, who died on November 22, 1997. Hutchence wrote the lyrics about the struggle to find happiness and meaning beyond the trappings of fame. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
• According to INXS: Story to Story: The Official Autobiography, you can hear the line "We're better than Oasis" in the background as opposed to "We're Elegantly Wasted." This was as a result of an altercation between Michael Hutchence and the Gallagher brothers at the 1996 BRIT awards. At the show, Noel collected an award from Hutchence by saying, "Has-beens should not be presenting awards to gonna-be's." It was also reported that Liam Gallagher and Michael Hutchence had a scuffle backstage with Hutchence throwing a fire extinguisher at Liam following some disparaging remarks he made about his then lover, Paula Yates. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Ste - Dublin, Ireland
• Speaking with Songfacts, Andrew Farriss of INXS could neither confirm or deny the "we're better than Oasis" story. "When Michael and I were working together in Dublin, Ireland, Michael went out to a pub that night and I stayed on to work in the studio and record some ideas when we were songwriting there for Elegantly Wasted," he said. "We went out to a pub and then I got tired and went home, and he must have gone back in the studio. I think he deliberately chose that time to go back in the studio because I wasn't there. So I don't know."
• This song was featured in an episode of the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street, which had a reputation of using hip and cutting edge music. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Tom - Milford, CT