Writing “Easy Life”

Trying to figure out the immigration system so myself and my (now) wife could be in the same country has been complicated! I never thought it would take so long. We had been going back and forth between Ireland and America. Staying as long as our visa’s allowed us. For a lot of the time only one of us could work. So money was never in abundance. Thankfully we have an amazing group of friends and family that really supported us. Many times we asked each other “How do other people, without this safety net do it?” It seems almost impossible. The love that surrounds us has not gone unnoticed. 

This song was written during a summer spent in California. A friend very generously allowed us to crash at her place. I couldn’t work so my main job was moral support while Ariel completed her summer job. Feeling a bit helpless waiting for my immigration papers the temptation to write a “Woe, Is Me – I’m a troubled songwriter” song was thick in the air. However, I didn’t think that type of song was what I needed. Instead I wanted to focus on the good things and sing a song that made me feel better about everything. 

A line that both fills me with pride for writing it and pending dread every time I hear it is: “Let’s act like we’re retired, cause lord knows we’ll never afford it. Let’s worry about that later when we’re too tired and too old to notice!” To me this line really sums up the “Look on the bright side” feeling I had at that time, while also alluding to the “this might come back to bite you in the arse” feeling. 

I’m so thankful to Ariel for suggesting that this song be a duet. I played her an early version of the song hoping she might be able to suggest something to give the second verse a bit more energy. She knew straight away! A small change in perspective from another singer lifted the whole song to a new level.