It Ain’t Easy

The song It Ain’t Easy, with its 2:58 duration, delves into the narrative of the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This record, released on June 16, 1972, in the United Kingdom via RCA Records, is presented as a conceptual rock opera. In it, the protagonist is the alter ego of David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous and bisexual rock figure who arrives on Earth as a savior from an imminent disaster. The story recounts how Ziggy conquers his followers, but eventually suffers a fall, a plot arc that permeates the atmosphere of songs like this one.

The recording of It Ain’t Easy took place between November 1971 and February 1972 at Trident Studios, in London. The entire album was co-produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott, featuring Bowie's backing band, The Spiders from Mars, comprised of Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass, and Mick Woodmansey on drums. The music of It Ain’t Easy itself was composed by Ron Davies, while the arrangements for the piece were the work of David Bowie and Mick Ronson, who also collaborated on production alongside Ken Scott. This creative period coincided with Bowie's resurgence in 1972, in the midst of the glam rock era, after having achieved notoriety in 1969 with his single Space Oddity.