"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Mike Altman (lyrics), which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. Johnny Mandel (born 23 November, 1925 in New York) is an American Composer and arranger of popular songs Film music Mike Altman (born 1955 is the son of Film director Robert Altman and is best known for writing the Lyrics to " Suicide Is Painless " Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio program, Television program, or Movie. See also M*A*S*H (TV series, M*A*S*H MASH is a American satirical Dark comedy Film directed by Robert Altman M*A*S*H was a Medical drama / Black comedy produced by 20th Television Fox for CBS.
Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14 years old when he composed the song's lyrics. Robert Bernard Altman (February 20 1925 – November 20 2006 was an American Film director known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with On an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1980s, Robert Altman said that his son earned more than a million dollars for co-writing the song while he only made $70,000 for directing the movie. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the ''Tonight Show'' franchise from 1962 In addition to being sung by Johnny Mandel over the film's opening credits, the movie also features a scene that begins when Walter Koskiusko Waldowski, a dentist nicknamed “Painless Pole”, declares his intention to commit suicide, and the song is sung by Ken Prymus (playing Sergeant Seidman) during the suicide scene. Dentistry' is the "evaluation diagnosis prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical surgical or related procedures of diseases disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Several instrumental versions of the song were used as the theme for the TV series (in which “Painless Pole” was mentioned, but never appeared). An instrumental is a Musical composition or recording without Lyrics or any other sort of Vocal music; all of the Music is produced by
First released in 1970, it belatedly became a number one hit in the UK in 1980 after being championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ Noel Edmonds. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Noel Ernest Edmonds The refrain is well-known:
- 'Cause suicide is painless,
- It brings on many changes,
- And I can take or leave it if I please
Cover versions
- Ahmad Jamal recorded an instrumental jazz-funk version of the song on his 1974 release Jamalca titled "Theme From M. A refrain (from Vulgar Latin refringere, "to repeat" and later from Old French refraindre) is the Line or lines that are Ahmad Jamal, born July 2, 1930, is a noted American Jazz Pianist. A. S. H. " This version was included on some re-releases of the soundtrack album.
- Bill Evans recorded a jazz piano trio version of the song for You Must Believe in Spring, an album posthumously released in 1981, having made it a staple of his live sets for some years. William John Evans (better known as Bill Evans) ( August 16, 1929 &ndash September 15, 1980) was one of the most famous and influential Evans version modulates through all 12 keys.
- Manic Street Preachers released a cover version as a charity single to help The Spastics Society (now Scope) in 1992. Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as the " Manics " or " MSP " are a Welsh rock band consisting of James A charity record (also known as a charity single) is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. It was their first UK top ten hit. See Suicide Is Painless (Manic Street Preachers song).
- Marilyn Manson, well known for recording cover versions, did a version for the soundtrack of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 in 2000. Marilyn Manson is an American Alternative metal band based in Los Angeles California. Book of Shadows Blair Witch 2 is the Sequel to the movie The Blair Witch Project. He calls the original "more depressing and offensive than anything I've ever done. "
- Royal Trux recorded a version for the BBC John Peel radio show in 1993. Royal Trux was an American Alternative rock band from 1987 to 2001, founded by Neil Hagerty (vocals guitar and Jennifer John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004 known professionally as John Peel, was an English Disc jockey, radio It was later released on a Royal Trux compilation called "Singles, Live, Unreleased. " On the compilation the song is titled "Theme from M. A. S. H. "
- Killarmy sampled the music for their 1997 track "5 Stars" from the Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars album. Killarmy (pronounced kih-luh-AR-me is a Hip hop group best-known through its affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan. Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars is the debut from Wu-Tang affiliate Killarmy.
- Kelis does her own interpretation of the song in her single "Lil Star" (with Cee-Lo, from Gnarls Barkley). Kelis Rogers-Jones (née Rogers, born August 21, 1979) better known as Kelis (pronounced kuh-LEECE is a Grammy Award-nominated American Gnarls Barkley is an American musical collaboration between Multi-instrumentalist and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton from New
- Art Of Noise perform a short instrumental interpolation on their 1984 track "A Time for Fear (Who's Afraid)", featured on both Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise? and Daft. Art of Noise were an Avant-garde Synthpop group formed in 1983 by producer Trevor Horn, music journalist Paul Morley, and session In Music and Musical composition, especially 20th century and later interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with (almost immediate (Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise was Art of Noise's debut full-length album released in 1984 and featured the UK hit singles " Close (To the Edit Daft is a compilation collecting Art of Noise LP Who's Afraid of the Art Of Noise? (with one track "Snapshot" appearing in a
- Cal Tjader recorded a version on his album The Shining Sea (1981). Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr aka Cal Tjader ( July 16 1925 &ndash May 5 1982) was a Latin jazz Musician, though
- Jimmy Smith recorded a version on his album Off the Top (1982). Jimmy Smith ( December 8, 1925 year is disputed and is often given as 1928 – February 8, 2005) was a Jazz musician whose performances
- Barði Jóhannson and Keren Ann cover this song on their collaboration called Lady and Bird (2003). Barði Jóhannson (born October 10, 1975) commonly known as Barði in Bang Gang is an Icelandic musician Keren Ann Zeidel (קרן אן זיידל born March 10 1974) is a Singer-songwriter based largely in Paris, New York City and Lady and Bird is an album from the collaboration of singer/songwriter Keren Ann and Barði Jóhannson, lead singer of Icelandic band
- Matt Costa, singer-songwriter from Huntington Beach, California, covered the song on his six-track The Elasmosaurus E. Matt Costa (born Matthew Albert Costa June 16, 1982) is a singer/songwriter from Huntington Beach California. Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, United States. P. in 2005.
- Ryan Kallok, singer-songwriter from Youngstown, Ohio, has performed it live, and offered it as a download during the "Era" sessions in 2008. Youngstown is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Mahoning County.
- Al De Lory recorded a jazz piano version entitled "Song from MASH" that was an adult contemporary hit a few months after the movie was released in 1970. The Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart (formerly known as Adult Contemporary Singles, Easy Listening, and only Adult Contemporary) lists the most popular
- Paul Desmond (alto saxophone) played together with Ed Bickert (e-guitar), Ron Carter (bass) and Connie Kay (drums) an instrumental version on his album Pure Desmond in 1974. Paul Desmond ( November 25, 1924 - May 30, 1977) born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a Jazz alto saxophonist and The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. Edward Isaac "Ed" Bickert (born November 29, 1932) is a Canadian Jazz guitarist Early life Youngest of his family An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Ron Carter (born May 4, 1937, Ferndale, Michigan) is an American Jazz Double-bassist. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Connie Kay (born Conrad Henry Kirnon on 27 April 1927, died 30 November 1994) was an American Jazz Drummer A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells
- Kerstin Forslund and Small Town Singers released a version in 1975. The single made Top-100 in Australia.
- I=mc2 is the latest group to sample the melody, making an epic single called "Please" as a tribute to the soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics.
Other appearances
- The refrain also is heard in the Family Guy movie Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, when a drunken Stewie sings it to Brian at the Drunken Clam. Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin The Untold Story is a direct-to-DVD animated Film set in Family Guy 's Stewart Gilligan "Stewie" Griffin, is a Fictional character in the animated series Family Guy. Brian Griffin is a Fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy, and is voiced by show creator Seth MacFarlane
- The refrain is heard in The Simpsons, when Marge is taken by Ziff's helicopter from her backyard.
- A soundalike of the refrain is heard in the Futurama episode War is the H-Word. Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and "War Is the H-Word" is episode seventeen in season two of Futurama.
- Similarly, a drunken Toby Ziegler absently mumbles the song to himself in The West Wing episode "The Stormy Present", while flying on Air Force One to the funeral of a former president. Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler, is a Fictional character played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing. " The Stormy Present " is episode 98 of The West Wing. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
- In the 2007 independent New Zealand film Manders, the lead character whispers this song constantly while torturing his victims. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island
- In the 20th issue of The Sandman comic book series by Neil Gaiman, the character Element Girl sings this song to Death while asking to be released from life. The Sandman is a Comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published in the United States by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and Element Girl is a fictional DC Comics Superhero who first appeared in Metamorpho #10 (Jan-Feb 1967 Death is a Fictional character from the DC Comic book series The Sandman (1988 - 1996
- Australian comedy band, Tripod, have a song which outlines the (fictional) annoyance that the writer of "Suicide is Painless" has, as a result of everyone knowing the song as "The Theme from MASH"
External links
- Suicide Is Painless
- MASH opening credit sequences 1972-1983 - compares different recordings of the theme throughout the show's run
| Preceded by "What's Another Year" by Johnny Logan |
UK number one single May 25, 1980 |
Succeeded by "Crying" by Don McLean |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic