Miles Davis recorded 'You're Under Arrest' in January and February 1985 at The Record Plant in New York. The album marks a shift towards pop and funk, with influences from synth-pop and rock of the era.
The album includes covers of songs by Cyndi Lauper ('Time After Time') and Michael Jackson ('Human Nature'), along with original tracks. The cover art shows Davis handcuffed, in an ironic reference to his troubled relationship with the police.
The album was Davis's last for Columbia Records before his several-year musical hiatus. It received mixed reviews but was a moderate commercial success, reaching number 33 on the Billboard 200 chart.