Who composed the instrumental theme song for the M*A*S*H TV series?

Johnny Mandel composed the instrumental theme song for the M*A*S*H television series. The melody is best known through “Suicide Is Painless,” which Mandel wrote for Robert Altman’s 1970 film M*A*S*H. The instrumental arrangement was later used over the opening and closing credits of the television adaptation.

The song began as a deliberately dark piece for the film’s “Last Supper” sequence, in which Private Seidman sings during Walter “Painless Pole” Waldowski’s staged suicide. Altman wanted the song to have the title “Suicide Is Painless” and to be absurdly simple. His 15-year-old son, Michael Altman, wrote the lyrics, while Mandel supplied the music.

A common mix-up is crediting Robert Altman or Mike Altman with the television theme. Robert directed the film, and Mike wrote the lyrics, but Johnny Mandel composed the music. The lyrics were never used in the television series; viewers heard instrumental versions instead.