M*A*S*H • Suicide Is Painless • Johnny Mandel 

I'm sure it had nothing to do with being Jewish with Hollywood connections.

The song reminds me of how I felt as a teenager :)

@@mindfulmaximalism another anti-semite...youll never win....go to gaza and meet a goat...What is your excuse for being an unsuccessful balding overweight loser? Did a jew do that to you?

@@mindfulmaximalism bro..

@@mindfulmaximalismway too accurate and based, don’t fry these peoples minds

😢😢😢

This show was required viewing growing up in my house. We lived in Toledo, OH at the time and we had met Mr Farr on a few occasions. And yes, Tony Packo's is a real place.

My heart goes out to You in your time of sorrow. I pray you know Jesus and the sweet comfort and compassion that He freely gives.

That's hard. Been there myself. And some songs are hard to hear for the right reasons, so I listen anyway. Cheers

My dad loved the show as well. He died of MS complications a couple years ago and sufferd dementia for years leading to it. I tried to buy him the full series once but he just said, why have that when I can just watch it on tv? He only watched dvds we bought him and had been for years. He didn't even know he wasn't watching TV anymore, while getting up to switch the dvds. I understand the feeling of absence and you have my condolences.

Rip. Sir.

What stinks...now I'm getting negative waves.... Thanks for everything Mr Sutherland

Who says soldiers aren’t supposed to cry? Crying is better than the 22/day.

Thank you very much for your service, Sir. Best Wishes and good health to you.

@@bloke_19xx33 Thank You.

Marine, tracks

im there with you brother, OIF veteran here,

Blessings to you and your father 🌻

Unless you start a war of independence maybe. Otherwise, spot on.

Two people kill each other, both not ever known or met. Both have families and loved ones with both equal reasons to live. All caused but the orders of some political figure.

Prayed for your comfort during these difficult times.

Your father was wise. It is critical to defend yourself as a populous, but what matters is what do you justify under the guise of "defense?" As an American veteran at 27, I do not feel I defended my country. I felt like I did more as a volunteer firefighter. Rightful countries have defended themselves through war, all throughout history. But those civilizations did not start it. To defend, means one is about to or has attacked you, and you react. Most wars and all major wars have been conducted over greed and gain. Not good or bad, right or wrong, defense, nor liberation.

me too age 63 - I learned to play it on guitar during lockdown - magical song

still watch from time to time. G.D. Army!

Same age here.

It's amazing the lyrics were written by a 15-year-old-boy.

Get a good headphone and listen to the theme song………it’s awesome, sad yet happy!

Same here man. Miss my pops too. 😪

Same here. Was required viewing in our house.

Happy birtthday.

Same here. Miss Mom Thanks for sharing your memories of your father, May he rest in peace.

God bless your father I love him too.

Cool Dad. He’s lucky & so are u to have such a cool Daddy-O Much love & God bless ur whole family 🙏🏼❤️

First Marine Division, Second Battalion? 😎✌️

Thank your father for his service and for our freedom.

@@gus473 Sorry, I don't know. My father passed back in 1999.

The show was at its best when it was serious. The show was at its best when it was comedic. Basically the show was just at its best period. One of my favorite scenes was during one of the episodes where they had come to arrest Hawkeye for being insubordinate. And just as they're getting ready to haul him off the helicopters come in he jumps out. The officer has come to arrest him yells at him to stop and he says, " look you can arrest me later. Right now I have a job to do" and he runs off to the OR. Afterwards the officer tells Hawkeye that he can't arrest him. You and Hawkeye asked him why he says, " You are a brilliant surgeon and I cannot take you away. But what the hell is wrong with you? A nurse drops an instrument. You crack a joke. A kid goes south on the table. You crack a joke. Blood shoots up over your shoulder. You crack a joke.". Hawkeye replies, " I figure I've got two options. I can either laugh or I can scream. I'm afraid if I start screaming I'll forget how to stop."

A 19 inch TV? Y'all must have been rich! Just playin - yeah, when I finally learned the lyrics...damn.

My uncle was a Corpsman green side.

I saw this at Fort Sam 1970

Well, and the lyrics for the song never actually appeared in the TV show. Something about too sensitive for the American viewing audience.

They both have their merits. The TV show was able to tell a longer form story and touch on a lot of subjects that you could not have when the movie originally came out. PTSD as an example.

you're not sick. !!!.. I channel the energy of the song and use it as therapy. turning a negative Into A Positive. 👍

It was written by a teenager. Imagine how that kid viewed life to write a song about the benefits and consequences of suicide.

@@Judg3m3nt As you may know, there's also a character with the name "Painless": John Schuck as Capt. 'Painless' Waldowski - IMDb. I also recall reading about the character in the novel, shortly after I saw references to "Radar O'Reilly" and M*A*S*H in Ottumwa Iowa.

@@Judg3m3nt the teenager was Robert Altmans 14 yr old son. So I guess some of dad's talent rubbed of the kid.

@kylewinward8847 painless, refers to " the painless pole " Waldowski The Dentist. which has nothing to do with the theme song or overall scope of the movie

ME TOO!!!!

Fucked up thing, if you say (Suicide is painless) to RU-vid, it diretces you to a suicide hotline 😮

This is why I am glad, the lyrics are rarely played. And I am not to happy about the songs from the singer bad guy. she has several songs about suicide, and I believe she has tried.

Yooo let's go see you on the other side

Brought me right here to the song I came for. Which is really ironic, since I'm actively involved in mental health care awareness. ​@@thomasjohnson3144

God bless you and your family. Thank you for my freedom. Much respect.

thank you and yours for their service. your appreciated !

Cool

Morphine song.

That song was written by a kid...

@@brianhinkel7833 I know. I wrote it.

You're Robert Altmans son?

You weren't a hospital corpsman?

This was from the movie, of which I think only Radar O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) played in both the movie and the series. Definitely watch the movie if you get a chance.

It still plays on tv atleast my grandma finds it once in a while

Saw the film at the base theater.

@@user-zn5hk2bh1r I miss standing to attention at the base theater for the National Anthem and when the symbols crashed, everyone would go "PSSSSHH!!"

Sounds rough, I'm really sorry that you guys had to go through that. War is hell, always was always will be. Let's hope we can one day come to peace as a species. I already know there's gonna be people here calling your uncle racist and whatever. Saddens me really, that we have to put outselves into camps based on politics or other stupid stuff that doesn't matter. But such is the human nature, I suppose. Wars wouldn't exist otherwise.

I'm sorry, homie. Thank you so much for your service.

I’m sorry. I hope you have a good support system ❤

Thank you for your service !

Try watching the movie. It's likely available on DVD from the local library. MIght even be on RU-vid. It's a classic. BTW, I would have been 17 or 18 when I first watched it and I'm 70 now.

it ok. but to be honest, and feel free to hate me, but i think when you say "i hate death" i think you meant to say that you hate war. death is part of nature, war isn't. hawkeye said so himself" war isn't hell. war is war, and hell is hell. only sinners go to hell. but the innocents die from war. I'm sorry if i sound like i belittle your feeling, i just think that what you feel is ok and you have the right to be this way.

@@mr.inkwell4782 No, I think you're completely right. You aren't invalidating or belittling my feelings in the least, and hearing this makes me feel a lot better. I know it might sound over-emotional, but I really do appreciate people like you and hearing what you have to say. Thank you so much

@cbraxton Thank you for the reassurance, it makes me feel more optimistic about the future. Sending my condolences and I appreciate what your father has done so we can live.

@@derangedclownie well, that very kind of you to say. it had made my day/night. advice

Very nice. One of your replies states that you shouldn't hate death but hate war. They are correct. Life and death can be beautiful but never commit suicide, it will never help or change anything for the better. Here is a paist of my comment... Shame on the lyrics to this song. It's a beautiful melody and has nostalgic vibes but Suicide is never painless and should not be glorified. Sending a message to people that you're losing the game of life so kill yourself is pathetic. Remember it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game so get right with God and be grateful for your life no matter what. Thank you and God bless ♥ ☯ 🕯

As a stroke survivor. For me life sucks with very little I can do ..to compound matters my girlfriend ditched me and cut contact with me. The pain is quite bad physical and emotionbal fortunately Singapore is a nice place with many nice people who are supportive of others in pain. Many have come forward to give support in multiple ways. Through physical means and prayer. In your shoes I would say you did have some good experiences and what you might have is a good old days syndrome where like in the song the way we were. We remember the wonderful stuff but forget the bad stuff. Me. I feel at this point the future. Is really Bleak and listen to this song to put my feelings into a spoken word or song. I mean really suicide as an option is painless but I still have this feels Ng I am not finished my purpose yet. So pain or no. I still must carry on recover and never give up until I recover. I hope you fel better soon. I recall mash the TV series and how the series ended cos one of the lead actors was tired of acting his part. Anyways. God bless ed us with some really good times that we can actually miss. Salutes.

Made it very dark which was part of the point. They asked for a simple song so he had his 12 year old kid write the lyrics

@@robertgary3561 I know...but I meant something else...

Perhaps it's the association you have with the TV series before you knew the lyrics and had lived more life that gives you both the warm feelings and the melancholy now?

The prompt was “it has to be called suicide is painless and it has to be the dumbest song ever written.” That is why he let his kid help.

It is shocking. You ask 99.9% of teenagers to write lyrics for a song and they will not come up with couplets this profound. It’s truly remarkable honestly

@@stopculture you are profoundly shallow.

@@theseaward4613 Or just profoundly realistic. If you actually believe if you walked into a freshman year high school cafeteria and gave any of the kids the same prompt you’d receive lyrics like these from any of them, I’ve got a bridge to sell ya bucko.

Hang in there, darlin. 🌻

As one who served in the USMC from 1981-1989, I find the TV series not preachy at all - they were trying to get a very important point through to people who just ... refuse to listen. I'm proud of my service, the Corps, and my country (and I would serve again if sent back in time) - but I'm intelligent enough to recognize that some things need fixing. Sgt J. Alexander 3MAW, VMA(AW)-242, VMA(AW)-121, CV-61 USS Ranger

Written by a 14 year old kid - the director’s son I believe

It's played twice in the movie. Once at the opening, and sung during the "Suicide" party for Painless the dentist (that's the guy you see drinking a glass of something, in this vid).

The lyrics were too dark for television

​@@magiclampboogiesdown9717 it was the director's then-15 year old son. Due to songwriter credits and royalties, that kid became a millionaire while in high school; his dad only made $70k just directing the film.

Yep.

Also positive I've been suicidal for a while but the the line you can take or leave it as you please gives me a hope and belief the choice is in my hands, which gives me hope

But his son, Mike Altman, was 14 or 15 depending which Wikipedia article you read, not 20.

@@scottcurry479 14 or 15 is a hell of a lot closer to 20-something than 40 is.

@@scottcurry479 - NBL (above) didn't say the boy was 20.

Altman was paid 70k upfront, but the movie was a massive hit so he almost definitely made a lot more than that.

Theres nothing stupid about this song. It’s quite sad actually

The movie is good but actually the TV show is great. Any age you should sit and watch it sometime.

When I was young, I didn't fully understand the show either, but I completely absorbed the series. You should watch the series. You will learn a lot. Than watch the show and you will understand the meaning and intensity of it.

Same

Robert notes that his son probably made over a million in royalties from this song, even though the TV series never played the lyric version -- he got $70k for directing the film.

love this song for me when i am in a bad place i recall this song and the words most people dismiss " I can take of leave it if i please , and you can do the same thing IF YOU PLEASE. for me it reminds me i have a choice and only i can make that choice.

He was 14. He earned more than $1 million in royalties after a version of “Suicide Is Painless” hit the No. 1 spot in the United Kingdom’s music charts. That was back in the 70's and h is still collecting royalties from it.

R.I.P. Donald Sutherland

better late than never brother. Know you have to look at all life events in the same manner….YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS!!!!!!

"Hogan's Heroes' trivia for you. Do you know why it is always winter in every episode of the show? It's so that if they are shown out of order there is still a continuity to the series. The series was coming out just at the advent of syndication, and the producers were thinking ahead.

Tommy Tedesco wrote it

Mike Altman