▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁" It ' s ▁So ▁E asy " ▁is ▁" an ▁account ▁of ▁a ▁time ▁D uff ▁McK agan ▁and ▁West ▁Ar ke en , ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁band , ▁were ▁kind a ▁going ▁through . ▁They ▁didn ' t ▁have ▁money , ▁but ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁h angers ▁on ▁and ▁girls ▁[ they ] ▁could ▁basically ▁live ▁off ▁of ▁... ▁things ▁were ▁just ▁too ▁easy . ▁There ' s ▁an ▁em pt iness ; ▁it ' s ▁so ▁easy ." ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁Edd ie ▁Tr unk ▁interview ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁A xl ▁Rose ▁said ▁that ▁McK agan ▁and ▁Ar ke en ▁originally ▁wrote ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁an ▁ac oust ic ▁" H ipp ie ▁Ya - Y a " ▁song , ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁Sl ash ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁turn ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁rock ▁song . ▁McK agan ▁stated ▁that ▁Ar ke en ▁taught ▁him ▁about ▁alternate ▁tun ing , ▁leading ▁the ▁song ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁more ▁distinct ive ▁sound , ▁saying ▁" without ▁open - E ▁tun ing , ▁that ▁song ▁wouldn ' t ▁have ▁happened ", ▁that ' s ▁why ▁West ▁has ▁song writing ▁credit ▁on ▁it ." ▁ ▁Live ▁ ▁" It ' s ▁So ▁E asy " ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁band ' s ▁live ▁st ap les , ▁performed ▁early ▁in ▁a ▁typical ▁set list ▁at ▁almost ▁every ▁live ▁performance ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 6 .