Do You Know the Story Behind MAS*H’s Iconic Theme Song?

Published: February 13, 2026

By Kayla DeKraker

Few television theme songs are as recognizable as the haunting melody that opens the classic show M*A*S*H, but behind its enduring emotional tune lies an unusual origin story that many may not know.

Simply put, a teenager wrote the M*A*S*H theme’s lyrics.

Director Robert Altman and composer Johnny Mandel set out to create a piece to accompany a darkly comic scene in the original ’70s movie version of M*A*S*H.

“You know, I need a song for the film,” Altman told Mandel. “It’s that Last Supper scene, after the guy says he’d [go] to do himself with a pill because his life is over…Yeah, that Last Supper scene where the guy climbs into the casket, and everybody walks around the box dropping in things…to see him into the next world. There’s just dead air there.”

While Mandel composed the tune, Altman attempted to write the lyrics.

“Bob was going to take a shot at the lyrics,” Mandel remembered. “But he came back two days later and said, ‘I’m sorry, but there’s just too much stuff in this 45-year-old brain. I can’t write anything nearly as stupid as what we need.’”

So the director tasked his 15-year-old son Michael with the project, and it was just what he was looking for.

Some of the lyrics to the famous song read,

Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see

That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

Collider reported, “Michael ended up writing the lyrics, whereas Mandel would compose the track’s instrumentation. Robert Altman ended up so pleased with ‘Suicide is Painless’ that, much to Mandel’s chagrin, he used it over the movie’s opening credits as well. It makes you wonder how he feels about the song being used over M*A*S*H the TV show’s opening credits too!”

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M*A*S*H began in 1972, based off a novel written by Richard Hornberger. The book details his time as a surgeon in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The show ran until 1983.

One source noted, “The show was notable for its blend of comedy and drama, exploring the lives of medical personnel dealing with the grim realities of war. Alan Alda starred as the chief surgeon, Captain Benjamin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce, and was a central figure throughout the series, contributing as a writer and director.”

During its run, M*A*S*H received multiple awards including Outstanding Comedy Series, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series.

The story of M*A*S*H’s lyricist is a reminder that you’re never too young to do something unforgettable.

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