Easy (song)
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"Easy" is a 1977 hit single by The Commodores for the Motown label, from their fifth studio album, Commodores. Written by Commodores lead singer Lionel Richie, the song, a slow ballad with country and western roots, expresses a man's feelings as he leaves his lover and ends their relationship. Instead of being depressed about the break-up, the narrator states that he is instead "easy like Sunday morning."
The single was released in the wake of the failure of the Commodores' single "Just to Be Close to You" at pop radio. Richie wrote "Easy" with the intention of it becoming a crossover hit for the group. "Easy" reached number-one on the Billboard R&B chart, and number-four on the Billboard Hot 100. Before "Easy's" success, the Commodores had primarily been a funk band, but the success of "Easy" paved the way for similar Richie-composed ballads such as "Three Times a Lady", and also for Richie's later solo hits.
"Easy" has been extensively covered by artists such as Clarence Carter, John Wesley Ryles, Jimmy Lindsay, Canadian Idol finalist Jason Greeley, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, Irish boy band Westlife and others. Eclectic metal band Faith No More covered "Easy" in 1993; it became their highest-charting UK hit (#3) and their final charting US hit. It was originally issued on the 1993 E.P. Songs To Make Love To, and later included on the European version of their album Angel Dust.
"Easy" was sampled by the Houston-based rap group The Geto Boys for the hit "Six Feet Deep" from their 1993 album.