A 1970 movie came out directed by Robert Altman, in the US called MASH, about a medical unit during the Korean War from 1950-1953.

The song written for the film was called Suicide is Painless. A little melancholy. But a 14-year old actually wrote the lyrics in 5 minutes. Here’s a little history:

Suicide Is Painless is a song written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mandel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Johnny Mandel</a> (music) and Michael Altman (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">lyrics</a>). It was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_song" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">theme song</a> for both the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MASH_(film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">movie</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M*A*S*H_(TV_series)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">TV series</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M*A*S*H" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);"><em>M*A*S*H</em></a>. Mike Altman was 14 years old when he wrote the song’s lyrics. 

The song was written specifically for Ken Prymus, the actor playing Private Seidman, who sang it during the faux-suicide of Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Schuck" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">John Schuck</a>) in the film's "Last Supper" scene.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[2]</a> Director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Altman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Robert Altman</a> had two stipulations about the song for Mandel: it had to be called "Suicide Is Painless" and it had to be the "stupidest song ever written".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[3]</a> Altman attempted to write the lyrics himself, but upon finding it too difficult for his 45-year-old brain to write "stupid enough,"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[4]</a> he gave the task to his 14-year-old-son Michael, who wrote the lyrics in five minutes.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[6]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_is_painless#cite_note-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">^[7]</a>

Length2:53<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_label" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Label</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Columbia/CBS</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songwriter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Songwriter(s)</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mandel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Johnny Mandel</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">music</a>)

Mike Altman (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyricist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">lyrics</a>)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_producer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Producer(s)</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Z._Shepard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">Thomas Z. Shepard</a>Music video<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODV6mxVVRZk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">"Suicide Is Painless" (audio)</a> on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">YouTube</a>

Amazingly, this 14-year old came up with these eerie and beautiful lyrics:

Suicide Is Painless (Main Title)

John Bahler, <a href="https://www.google.de/search?client=safari&hl=de-de&q=Tom+Bahler&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLSz9U3MCxPsSzIWsTKFZKfq-CUmJGTWgQAOXe8GxsAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1nLyPgLznAhXgIDQIHSAKCzYQMTAAegQIDRAF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 153);">Tom Bahler</a>, ...

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

The game of life is hard to play

I'm gonna lose it anyway

The losing card I'll someday lay

So this is all I have to say

Suicide is painless (suicide)

It brings on many changes (changes)

And I can take or leave it if I please

The sword of time will pierce our skins

It doesn't hurt when it begins

But as it works its way on in

The pain grows stronger

Watch it grin

Suicide is painless

It brings on many changes

And I can… take or leave it if I please.

It‘s amazing how brilliant young minds can be.

ÜBERSETZEN IN: DEUTSCH