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The R.I.P. Thread

Sardines said:
It is insane to me that this was the theme song for a major television program. The show version was lyric free IIRC. Used to be part of the lineup at the babysitter's house when I was pre-K and early elementary.
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The lyrics were an afterthought and added to complete it as a song. They were not meant to be reflective of anything at all really, and not the show at all.
 
Sardines said:
Wasn't the MASH movie before the show? The lyrics were very relevant in the movie.
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I just remember reading about it in a booklet that came with a collectors edition of the show we got back in the 90's. The movie was based on a book, and the movie did come before the tv show yes. The book is a pretty good read, semi-autobiographical account written by an actual surgeon who served in the Korean war.
 
LogGrad98 said:
The lyrics were an afterthought and added to complete it as a song. They were not meant to be reflective of anything at all really, and not the show at all.
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Nope. From Wikipedia:

The song was written for Ken Prymus, the actor playing Private Seidman, to sing during the faux-suicide of Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck) in the film's "Last Supper" scene. Director Robert Altman had two stipulations about the song for composer Johnny Mandel: it had to be called "Suicide Is Painless" and it had to be the "stupidest song ever written". Altman attempted to write the lyrics himself, but, upon finding it too difficult for his "45-year-old brain" to write something "stupid" enough, he gave the task to his 15-year-old-son Michael, who reportedly wrote the lyrics in five minutes.
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LogGrad98 said:
I just remember reading about it in a booklet that came with a collectors edition of the show we got back in the 90's. The movie was based on a book, and the movie did come before the tv show yes. The book is a pretty good read, semi-autobiographical account written by an actual surgeon who served in the Korean war.
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gandalfe said:
Nope. From Wikipedia:
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Looks like memories from 30 years ago are fallable. Imagine that!
 
LogGrad98 said:
Looks like memories from 30 years ago are fallable. Imagine that!
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Just wait 'til the Alzheimers kicks in, you'll remember it like it was just yesterday.

BTW, the lyrics added as an afterthought memory was probably Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry wrote lyrics for the theme solely so he was listed as a co-writer of the theme song and split the royalties. It was never actually meant to be sung, altho Nichelle Nichols did.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IiJUQSsxNw
 
gandalfe said:
www.theguardian.com

Brian Wilson, visionary creative spirit for the Beach Boys, dies aged 82

Musician, who suffered from mental health problems, wrote and produced the 1966 album Pet Sounds – seen by many as the greatest album of all time
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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Very sad He was just hitting his peak as a song writer and self destructed
No telling how great he could have been Wrote some great songs in a short time :(:(:(:(:(:(
Little Deuce Coupe was my favorite
Can't forget Sly Stone Another example of great talent that self destructed too soon
Every Day People was my favorite
 
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