Mash's original theme song couldn't be used on the show because it talks about suicide, which doesn't align with the lighthearted tone CBS wants. The instrumental version of "Suicide Is Painless" is used for the Mash TV show because the lyrics are too grim. Although the song doesn't have a direct connection to the sitcom, it remains difficult to imagine Mash with a different theme than "Suicide Is Painless."

Mash's original theme song couldn't be used on the TV show because of one particular reason. CBS' hit series is regarded as one of, if not the best sitcom of all time. Following the 4077 Mash unit during the Korean War, Mash puts Alan Alda's Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce and his colleagues as they deal with the causalities of war, all while trying to make sense of their own thoughts about it. Over the years, Mash has gone through several cast exits and arrivals,...