Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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It’s Not Easy
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

RCA Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 6 - 9, 1966

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar
Ian Stewart - organ

It's not easy, it's not easy living on your own
It's not easy, it's not easy living on your own
And it's hard, it's not easy, and it's hard, it's not easy
And it's a pretty hard thing, it's not easy, it's not easy livin’ on your own

All of the things that you used to do
If they're done now, well they're done by you
It seems a big failing in a man
To take his girl for granted if he can
And it's a hard thing, it's not easy, and it's hard, it's not easy
And it's a pretty hard thing, it's not easy, it's not easy livin’ on your own

There's no place where you can call home
Got me running like a cat in a thunderstorm
Just a big bed and a telephone
Like the last remnants of a stately home
And it's a pretty hard thing, it's not easy, and it's hard, it's not easy
Well, it's a pretty hard thing, it's not easy, it's not easy livin’ on your own, yeah

And it's hard, it's not easy, and it's hard, it's not easy
And it's a pretty hard thing, it's not easy, it's not easy livin’ on your own

Sit here thinking with your head of fire
Go think the same thing and never tire
Imagining the glow of her long clean hair
As she goes to sit on her own high chair
And it's a hard thing, it's not easy, well, it's a pretty hard thing, it's not easy
Well, it's hard babe, it's not easy, it's not easy livin’ on your own

It's not easy, a pretty tough thing, it's not easy, well, life pretty rough
It's not easy, it's a hard time baby, it's not easy, it's a hard time baby
It's not easy, it's a pretty hard life

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Aftermath” LP
(Decca SKL 4786) UK, April 15, 1966

Fantastic song and very underrated....

2 1 2 0

Love the sneering vocal and Keith's high pitched Dylan inspired "it's not easy living on your own" part on the chorus. In fact lyrically the song is very much Dylan and has that girlfriend put down tone that Bob was doing at the time, especially on Highway 61 Revisited.

It has a great chugga chugga rhythm but also a sparseness in which the music can breathe. Great interplay between the guitars and Ian Stewart's organ sound.

Pretty much perfect garage pop that inspired countless numbers of bands across the USA and beyond.

A classic. Great back up-vocals by Keith!

Mick's vocal is great, very suggestive.

Great song, funny that Mick Jagger called all the non hits on an album (prior to Sergeant Peppers) fillers (listen to the SH interview) well in that case make more fillers

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Nice little pop track. I like the chugga chugga rhythm too. And that fuzztone guitar has a cool sound to it. Top-notch production values.

But to my ears, there are a couple of moments where Mick sounds a little uncertain of the lyrics, like he's reading them off the page for the first time.

Drew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-03 13:35 by drewmaster.

I've once heard a live rendition of this song on a bootleg. Not by the Stones (at least not
all of them), but I can't remember who were playing it. Surely it weren't Blue Oister Cult.

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

One of their best!

this quirky little piece of chunka chunka chunka definitely shakes my tailfeather

i love the Rolling Stones

I have the original Aftermath RCA acetate with an alternate track of It's not easy with different guitar from Keith.

Love it!
Yet another great song on Aftermath!

Marv Peck

Y'all remember that rubber legged boy

Yes, that is it! "Chunka chunka chunka"! Love those guitars / that rhythm

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marcovandereijk
I've once heard a live rendition of this song on a bootleg. Not by the Stones (at least not
all of them), but I can't remember who were playing it. Surely it weren't Blue Oister Cult.

(The Amazing!) Blue Oyster Cult have covered this song in concert many times going back to their days as the Soft White Underbelly. Unfortunately I could not find a recording of them doing it. Also I have been in two different bands that covered this song and it always went over well.

That "It's Not Easy", or say "Flight 505", were "throwaways" means that throwaways can be damn good!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-03 23:28 by Wry Cooter.

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NICOS
Great song, funny that Mick Jagger called all the non hits on an album (prior to Sergeant Peppers) fillers (listen to the SH interview) well in that case make more fillers

Where can I hear this interview?

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originalstones

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NICOS
Great song, funny that Mick Jagger called all the non hits on an album (prior to Sergeant Peppers) fillers (listen to the SH interview) well in that case make more fillers

Where can I hear this interview?

30 minute interview skip to 22.00

I guess what he is try to say is that the main thing before '67 was writing HIT songs for singles, and if you have some HITS make a LP and filled them with songs (fillers) bit strange because the UK Aftermath contains no big HIT singles, so they all seems to be fillers then




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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-04 01:55 by NICOS.

Yeah, I agree with you NICOS. There was some great 'fillers' back then. I think I remember Keith saying Satisfaction was meant as a filler for an album.

Well that's the greatness of fillers I think.............non expecting great hits....like "Out Of Time"

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ROCKMAN

An early highlight for me. Always reminds me of the German "Around And Around" LP (the moment I saw this new Track Talk anouncement, I even thought it was on that album for a moment). Great LP with the title track, I Wanna Be Your Man, It's All Over Now, You Better Move On etc. And a great, scruffy cover shot, that somehow fits this particular song (It's Not Easy).





Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-14 19:11 by Greenblues.