How INXS’ Two Songwriters Met in the Middle on “Devil Inside”

Songwriters working in tandem can often create something none of the involved individuals might have imagined on their own. Combining separate sensibilities can take writers down unexpected paths to a fantastic finished product. It’s doubtful that either Michael Hutchence or Andrew Farriss would have created “Devil Inside” if left to their own individual devices. But together, they delivered one of the most unforgettable INXS hits.

‘Kick’ Start

When INXS burst upon the scene with a slew of huge hits in the late 80s, it seemed to many in America that they were an overnight sensation. In actuality, they had been struggling to do much business outside their home country of Australia for the entire first half of the decade.

A big turning point came with their 1985 album Listen Like Thieves. Producer Chris Thomas, who was new to working with the band, convinced them in the late stages of making the album that they still needed a surefire single. They delivered “What You Need”, a Top 5 smash in the US that earned them their first taste of worldwide notoriety.

Yet when they went to their record label (Warner Music) with the tapes for their follow-up album, they were told to go back and try again. INXS stuck to their guns and released the record, titled Kick, as it was in 1987. Good call, because the album was teeming with hits, including “Devil Inside”.

“Inside” Pitch

“Devil Inside” started with Andrew Farriss. Farriss mostly served as the band’s keyboardist. But he also played a little guitar, and, along with singer Michael Hutchence, wrote the bulk of the songs. With the guitar in his hand, Farriss came up with the song’s indelible opening riff, which got the ball rolling.

While Hutchence and Farriss often collaborated on the lyrics, the frontman took on the entire burden on “Devil Inside”. Perhaps taking his cue from the riff’s slightly sleazy vibe, he conjured words that touched on the hidden urges and illicit desires lurking inside even the most righteous individual.

Those lyrics gave Farriss, a normally spiritual person, a bit of pause. But he trusted Hutchence’s instincts, which turned out to be a smart idea. INXS released “Devil Inside” as the third single off Kick. It extended the album’s incredible chart dominance, going all the way to no. 2 in the US.

Behind the Lyrics of “Devil Inside”

“Every single one of us, the devil inside,” Michael Hutchence promises throughout the track. He uses the verses to make his case why that’s true. First, he puts the spotlight on a femme fatale. “Raised on leather, with flesh on her mind,” he sings. “Words as weapons, sharper than knives.”

Next up is an empty vessel of a man: “He’s fed on nothing, but full of pride.”

In the final verse, Hutchence extends the scope to all of humanity: “Future uncertain, but certainly slight,” he warns. “Look at the faces, listen to the bells / It’s hard to believe we need a place called hell.”

Sinister though these lyrics might be, Hutchence makes them sound seductive, especially when surrounded by the lusty music. “Devil Inside” shot into the stratosphere for INXS by fearlessly examining humanity’s basest instincts.

Photo by Sherry Rayn Barnett/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images