who wrote the theme song for mash
â Song from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless) â is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Mike Altman (lyrics), which was the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. Mike Altman is the son of the original filmâs director, Robert Altman, and was 14 years old when he wrote the songâs lyrics.