Suicide Is Painless

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For the Grey's Anatomy episode, see Suicide Is Painless (Grey's Anatomy).

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"Suicide Is Painless"
File:The Mash Suicide Is Painless single cover.jpg
Single by The Mash
from the album M*A*S*H (Original Soundtrack Recording)
B-side "The M*A*S*H March"
Released 1970
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded 1969
Genre Folk
Length 2:53
Label Columbia/CBS
Writer(s) Johnny Mandel (music)
Mike Altman (lyrics)
Producer(s) Thomas Z. Shepard

“Song from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)” is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Mike Altman (lyrics), which was the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. Mike Altman is the son of the original film’s director, Robert Altman, and was 14 years old when he wrote the song’s lyrics. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1980s, Robert Altman said that while he only made $70,000 for having directed the movie, his son had earned more than $1 million for having co-written the song.

Several instrumental versions of the song were used as the theme for the TV series. It became a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in May 1980.[1] The song was ranked #66 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.

Background and recording

The song was written specifically for Ken Prymus (the actor playing Private Seidman), who sang it during the faux suicide of Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck) in the film's "Last Supper" scene.[2][3] Robert Altman had two stipulations about the song for Mandel: first, it had to be called "Suicide Is Painless"; second, it had to be the "stupidest song ever written".[4] Altman tried to write the lyrics himself, but found that it was too difficult for his 45-year-old brain to write "stupid enough".[5] Instead he gave the task to his 14-year-old-son, Michael, who apparently wrote the lyrics in five minutes.[6][7]

Altman later decided that the song worked so well, he would use it as the film's main theme, despite Mandel's initial objections.[8] This version was sung by uncredited session singers John Bahler, Tom Bahler, Ron Hicklin and Ian Freebairn-Smith and the single was attributed to "The Mash."

Track listing

7" vinyl
  • Germany: CBS / 5009
  • UK: CBS / S CBS 8536
  • US: Columbia / JZSS 153321 [Promo only]
  • US: Columbia / ZSS 153321 [original release]
A-side
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)"   Johnny Mandel, Mike Altman The Mash 2:53
B-side
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "The M*A*S*H March"   Mandel Johnny Mandel 1:19

Chart performance

Chart (1970) Peak
position
Dutch GfK chart[9] 3
Dutch Top 40[10] 4
Chart (1980) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[11] 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Preceded by UK number one single
31 May 1980 – 14 June 1980		 Succeeded by
"Crying" by Don McLean

Manic Street Preachers version

"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"
File:Manic Street Preachers Suicide Is Painless single cover.jpg
Single by Manic Street Preachers
from the album Ruby Trax
B-side "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (by The Fatima Mansions)
"Sleeping with the NME"
"Spectators of Suicide"
"Star Lover"
"Never Want Again"
"Dead Yankee Drawl"
"Ain't Goin' Down"
Released 1992
Format 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, CD
Genre Alternative rock, hard rock, soft rock[12]
Length 3:43
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Johnny Mandel (music)
Mike Altman (lyrics)
Producer(s) Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers singles chronology
"Motorcycle Emptiness"
(1992)		 "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"
(1992)		 "Little Baby Nothing"
(1993)

Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers released a cover version of "Suicide Is Painless" in 1992 as "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)". In the UK it was a double A-side charity single to help The Spastics Society, with The Fatima Mansions' take on Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" as the other A-side. The 12" and CD versions of the UK single included "Sleeping with the NME" – an excerpt from a radio documentary recorded in the offices of the NME capturing staff's reaction to photographs of guitarist Richey Edwards' infamous self-mutilation. The single peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart[13] spending three weeks in the Top Ten. In other countries it was released as a Manic Street Preachers single, with different B-sides. The song also made an appearance as track number seventeen on Forever Delayed, the band's greatest hits album released in November 2002.

Track listings

7" vinyl
  • UK: Columbia / 658382 7
Side A
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"   Johnny Mandel, Mike Altman Manic Street Preachers 3:40
Side B
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"   Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, Robert John "Mutt" Lange The Fatima Mansions 6:26
  • Netherlands: Columbia / COL 658385 7
Side A
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"   Mandel, Altman  
Side B
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Spectators of Suicide"   James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore, Richey James Edwards  
12" vinyl
  • UK: Columbia / 658382 6
Side A
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"   Mandel, Altman Manic Street Preachers  
Side B
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"   Adams, Kamen, Lange The Fatima Mansions  
2. "Sleeping with the N.M.E."     Manic Street Preachers  
CD
  • UK: Columbia / 658382 2
No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length
1. "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"   Mandel, Altman Manic Street Preachers  
2. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"   Adams, Kamen, Lange The Fatima Mansions  
3. "Sleeping with the N.M.E."     Manic Street Preachers  
  • Europe: Columbia / 658385 2
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"   Mandel, Altman  
2. "Spectators of Suicide"   Bradfield, Wire, Moore, Edwards  
3. "Star Lover"   Bradfield, Wire, Moore, Edwards  
  • Japan: Epic/Sony / ESCA 5668
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)"   Mandel, Altman 3:43
2. "Never Want Again"     3:39
3. "Dead Yankee Drawl"     3:46
4. "Ain't Goin' Down"     3:08

Chart performance

Chart (1992) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 7[13]
Irish Singles Chart [14] 12
Swedish Singles Chart [15] 21

UK Chart Performance

UK Top 40
Week 01 02 03 04 05
Position
9
7
9
16
32

Cover recorded versions

References

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  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  16. ↑ Adult Contemporary : July 04, 1970 | Billboard Chart Archive. Billboard.com (1970-07-04). Retrieved on 2014-03-29.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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