It's So Easy

Album: Appetite For Destruction (1987)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was written at a time when the band was on the rise, but their bank accounts had yet to catch up with their success. What was "so easy" was getting girls - there were groupies everywhere ready to take care of all their needs.
  • Guns N' Roses bass player Duff McKagan wrote this with West Arkeen, who was also a cowriter on "Patience," "The Garden" and "Yesterdays." Arkeen died of a drug overdose in 1997.
  • This was the first single from Appetite For Destruction. It flopped, but was followed by "Welcome To The Jungle" and then "Sweet Child O' Mine," which hit #1 in the US.
  • While performing this at the Monsters Of Rock tour in England in 1988, two people were trampled to death as the crowd of over 90,000 formed a giant mosh pit.
  • In 2001, former members Slash and Duff McKagan got together and performed this at a club in Los Angeles. McKagan was playing the club with his band Loaded.
  • Along with "Mr. Brownstone," this is one of two Guns N' Roses songs that Velvet Revolver regularly played in concert. Three former GN'R members, including McKagan, were members of Velvet Revolver.
  • The band shot a live video for this song with director Nigel Dick on October 10, 1989 at a the Hollywood club the Cathouse, a favorite haunt of Axl Rose, who wears a Cathouse T-shirt in the "Paradise City" video. Axl introduced it by saying, "We're making this for ourselves. If we made a nice video for MTV, we could put it out and sell my records and s--t, but instead we're going to spend 150 grand just to make something we want to see."

    The video didn't appear until 2018, when it was put on Apple Music and later included on their Appetite for Destruction: Locked N' Loaded box set.

Comments: 20

  • Pearson Hamm from Georgia My favorite gnr song I love duff’s bass line at the beginning.
  • Jodie from Xxxxx, MdSo Axl or Slash wrote the whole song. Including music, vocal melody, ect. There's more to writing a song than just writing the lyrics.
  • Matthew from Rugby, United KingdomMary, Phoenix:
    The lyrics stated in the actual Appetite CD booklet is 'I drink n'drive everything's in sight'. I trust GnR to print the correct lyrics.
  • Mary from Phoenix, AzI'm sorry Terri Lynn (who posted the lyrics)but the line is NOT "I drink and drive, everythings in sight". It is actually "I drink and drop everything in sight". Meaning, anything he could get his hands on....
    I suppose I could be wrong, but I believe that is what he is saying.
  • Layton from Paris, TxGreat into, great riff, great chorus, and greater vocals. Not to mention the killer guitar work by Slash.
  • Fefich from Skopje, EuropeWhen mentioned a gnr's sond,I think it's a lot more than understood that the song MUST ROCK!!!I looooove this song,so as every other GnR's song...
  • Mr.goodtimes from Edmonton, CanadaThe tune was actually written by Duff and West Arkeen...the whole porno mag ad happened after they wrote the song (according to AXL in the "A night in the jungle" tv special)
  • Maich from Toronto, CanadaDuff wrote it, not Axl
    - Jenna, Mt. Pleasany, NC

    It was written by the whole band.

    this is the first song on a gnr album where they swear
    - Nate, Buffalo, NY

    It's track 2. It's the first track that they swear, but they weren't holding off toooooo long.

    Lastly, why do people look up the meanings of songs that have no meaning deeper than what it actually says?
  • Jyme from Maquoketa, IaDuff is a talent most ppl over look but he is THE BEST !!!! lol

    Jymbo
  • Vicki from Miramichi, CanadaDuff wrote this song,he also wrote Nightrain.. Slash said in an interview that this song meant it just became so easy to get the girls, that they started going after random girls like librarians, just to have something different and so they could say "ha! i got her".. kind of like a challenge.. Axl said he found an ad in Penthouse, or Hustler or some magazine like that with a picture of a girl sticking her ass in the air and under her picture it said "It's So Easy" lol News you can use :P
  • Robbie from Truro, Canadait's so easy is duff's favorite song by gnr
  • Dejaye from Wagga, Australiathank u jenna give credit where due duff did write it but axl did help
  • Amy from Leeds, Englandits so easy is an ace song
  • Robert from Leeds, Englandi think its the best song on the album, axl's vocals are frightingly good, with a great riff.
  • Bob from Kelowna, CanadaThis song is best for the slower sections. I love everything off Appetite, but i would find this song totaly lacking without them
  • Jenna from Mt. Pleasany, NcDuff wrote it, not Axl
  • James from Covina, CaAxl wrote this about how easy it was to use women and get away with it.
  • Nate from Buffalo, Nythis is the first song on a gnr album where they swear
  • Paulo from New York, NyI thought this song rocked when I first heard it. Right now it seems one of the weaker tracks on AfD.
  • Me from Me Ville, Miactully, that crowd was over 100,000 people... and i happen to like It's So Easy... and everyother GN'R song they ever made... lol i own all the albums plus the dvds and more t-shirts and other memorablia that i care to think how much i spent on it...
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