Suicide Is Painless
One of the most famous and recognizable elements of M*A*S*H is its theme song. Entitled ‘ Suicide Is Painless ‘ the song was written by Johnny Mandel, with lyrics by Mike Altman. It was the theme song for the 1970 movie, with the lyrics being written by the son of the director, Robert Altman. Robert’s son, Mike, was just 14 when he wrote the words, with Robert saying his 45-year-old mind wasn’t capable of coming up with the sort of lyrics he wanted.
MALIBU, CA – JUNE 18, The last episode of MASH.Goodbye, Farewell and Amen Goodbye, Farewell and Amen remained the most watched television broadcast in American history, Loretta Swit, Mike Farrell, Alan Alda, Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, Allan Arbus Fox Ranch, June 18, 1984 at the Malibu Creek State Park in California ( Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images )
Robert later said he was looking for “the stupidest song ever written” and decided that his teenage boy would be able to make it come to life. The song, originally recorded in 1969, became a cult hit and is one of the most well-known TV themes of all time, having been covered and re-released many times, perhaps most notably by Welsh rock group Manic Street Preachers in 1992.