[3] In author Robert Rodriguez's description, the official songwriting credit was long thought to be "bogus" and, notwithstanding Starr's involvement, a sign of Harrison's "great generosity" in wanting to help the drummer establish himself independently of the Beatles.

"[8] In journalist Bob Woffinden's view, as "It Don't Come Easy", the title alone "[betrayed] a wealth of information" about Starr's feelings of vulnerability while the other Beatles, as proven songwriters, could each look to further their achievements outside the band.

[10] In Rodriguez's view, the song was most likely inspired by "a Ringo-ism or two", but the guitar riff, "quasi-philosophical" lyrics and other musical details make it a typical Harrison composition from the period.

[14] On 19 February, after final overdubs were carried out on "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" during an afternoon session at EMI,[22] recording resumed on "You Gotta Pay Your Dues", with Starr adding another lead vocal.

[19] Recording for the third version of "It Don't Come Easy" began at Trident Studios on 8 March 1970,[25] two days after Starr had completed work on Sentimental Journey.

[27] According to author Bill Harry, Voormann and Stills again contributed on bass and piano, while the other participants included Mal Evans (on tambourine) and Ron Cattermole (saxophone, trumpet).

[4][34] Work on the song resumed in October 1970,[35][36] when Starr was otherwise contributing to Lennon's Plastic Ono Band album and Harrison was completing All Things Must Pass.

[43] Referring to the arrangement on the completed track, author Alan Clayson highlights the combination of an opening "fizz of cymbal", Harrison's "clanging guitar arpeggios", the "fat gusto" horns, Evans' tambourine supporting the "moderato punch" of the Starr–Voormann rhythm section, and "gospel-esque" backing vocals.

[50][51] The NME's Alan Smith described the song as "undoubtedly one of the best, thumpin'est things the Starr man has ever done", with a "very strong hook" and, thanks to Harrison, a "fat, pumping backing full of guts and stuff".

"[52][53] Billboard's reviewer admired the single as Starr's "most commercial solo effort" yet and said that "Potent Top 40 rock material and vocal workout has it to take him all the way.

[65] Starr's single outsold those released by his former bandmates around this time:[44] Lennon's "Power to the People", Paul McCartney's "Another Day" and Harrison's "Bangla Desh".

[68][nb 5] Author Peter Doggett writes that with Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" easily outselling any of the former bandmates' singles in the year after their break-up, Starr's achievement was similarly part of a "decisive shift in power" and encouraged speculation that competition between the four solo artists could inspire "the quartet to new creative heights".

[72] In an interview with Melody Maker that summer, Starr said he hoped to record a full album in the "poppy" style of "It Don't Come Easy" once he had completed filming his role in the Spaghetti Western Blindman.

[77][nb 7] Starr was filmed performing the song live in Stockholm on 24 June backed by an orchestra, for the BBC TV show Cilla,[78] which aired on 27 November.

[79] Further to his breakthrough as a solo artist, Starr's public profile was lifted by the formation of the first fan club devoted to him, and he was voted Top Drummer in the NME readers' poll for 1971.

[81] Backed by Harrison and a large band that included Voormann, Keltner and Badfinger, Starr performed "It Don't Come Easy" as his vocal turn at the two Concert for Bangladesh shows, held at Madison Square Garden in New York on 1 August 1971.

"[90] In his album review for the same publication, Jon Landau approved of the decision to retain Starr's live vocal, saying that his idiosyncratic delivery and "tremendous good-nature and humor" added to the authenticity of the concert.

[91] Writing in The Village Voice soon after attending the event, critic Robert Christgau conceded his favouritism towards Starr when ruing how Harrison, at the front of the stage, blocked his view of the drummer dressed in "grand ole black-on-black" as he sang "It Don't Come Easy".

Christgau described Starr's demeanour during the performance as "brimming with quiet happiness, as if after eight years he still couldn't quite believe his own good fortune"; he cited this deferential quality as the reason why "unlike the others he remains immune to the vagaries of our affection.

"[92][nb 9] The studio version of the song remained unavailable on an LP until the release of Starr's 1975 Apple greatest hits compilation, Blast from Your Past.

[95] According to author Andrew Grant Jackson, "It Don't Come Easy" became the artist's "signature single";[96] Nick DeRiso of Ultimate Classic Rock describes it as "a kind of theme song for Starr".

[97] Starr's re-recording of "Back Off Boogaloo" for his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses references the song, along with several Beatles tracks,[98] by reprising Harrison's opening guitar riff.

[99] On 12 March 1984, EMI released a UK single pairing "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo" as part of the company's Golden 45s series.

[59][101] He included it in the set list for his July–September 1989 American tour, and a performance of the song opens the 1990 album Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band[102] and the 2001 live compilation The Anthology...