When trying over a grand historical past of the tv trade, few theme songs have grow to be as immediately recognizable because the opening theme of M*A*S*H.
Usually described as one of many biggest, most transferring themes to ever seem in a TV present, M*A*S*H‘s “Suicide is Painless” additionally stays some of the emotional songs of the Nineteen Seventies.
Curiously, whereas the track has grow to be one thing of a fortified traditional amongst up to date and fashionable viewers, the track wasn’t at all times envisioned because the attention-grabbing meditative theme track it will definitely turned.
In truth, when the track first appeared within the authentic 1970 movie model of M*A*S*H, director Robert Altman and composer Johnny Mandel turned to Altman’s 15-year-old son for some much-needed inventive recommendation.
In line with The Hollywood Reporter, Altman commissioned Mandel to write down a track tentatively “Suicide is Painless” to play throughout a humorous scene involving a despondent army surgeon climbing right into a casket following a humiliating incident.
On the time, the one agency instruction Altman gave his composer was easy: “It’s received to be the stupidest track ever written.”
Taking this order in stride, Mandel remembered considering, “I stated to myself, ‘Nicely, I can do silly.'”
Whereas Mandel labored on the musical notes for the track, Altman tried to take a seat down and write the official lyrics. Earlier than very lengthy, nonetheless, the director realized he could not get into the correct mindset of writing a “silly track.”
“Bob was going to take a shot on the lyrics,” Mandel remembered. “However he got here again two days later and stated, ‘I’m sorry, however there’s simply an excessive amount of stuff on this 45-year-old mind. I can’t write something almost as silly as what we’d like.’”
In the long run, Altman enlisted the assistance of his 15-year-old son, Michael, who supplied the lyrics to “Suicide is Painless.” After all, the track rapidly one thing of a essential success, ultimately taking part in over M*A*S*H‘s opening credit in addition to taking part in a central function in its later TV counterpart, netting the teenage songwriter over $1 million.
