Ear Worm - MASH

 The Ear Worm of the day is the theme song from "MASH".

For those of you who do not know what an Ear Worm is, please allow me to explain.  An Ear Worm is that annoying song that pops into your head from nowhere and will not go away.  It does not matter if you try to sing another tune.  Ear worms don't care if you turn the radio volume up all the way to try to get rid off them.  They simply stay in your ear, singing to your brain until they are good and ready to move on.

Let's address those folks who are youthful enough to not know the significance of the theme song to MASH.  MASH was a movie and television sitcom that was filmed in the 1970's.  Important actors such as Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, and Robert Duvall were featured in the movie.  Alan Alda, Loretta Swit and Jamie Farr were some of the remarkable actors on the TV series.

The movie was set during the Korean War in the 1950's. The scene is a mobile army surgical hospital, thus the name MASH.  Two young, brilliant surgeons are stationed there.  They are great doctors , but terrible soliders.  The movie is about their unique experiences as they try to adapt to military life while still remaining happy healthy young men.  They live in a tent called the Swamp with their very own alcohol still, which they use liberally.  One of the major plot lines is finding out if the head nurse is a natural blonde.

The TV series is the show that had a big impact on my life.  I was a teenager when it was being played.  As you may know, teenagers love to watch TV and I was no exception.  The characters are alive in my mind as much as they were when they originally played.  I remember the illicit affair of Hot Lip and Frank. The antics of Max Klinger dance in my memories, as he did almost anything to get sent home to Toledo.  Radar was amazing in his ability to predict the future.  Who can forget Hawkeye, BJ, and Trapper John?  These characters were comedic genuis on the part of the writers and the actors.

The theme song for MASH was written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman.  It is named "Suicide is Painless".  Mike Altman was 14 years old when he wrote the lyrics.  At the time the song was playing, I didn't even know the name of it.  It was a catchy tune that started my favorite TV show.    The fact that the song and the underlying plot of war, terror, and loneliness were screaming with political and societal undertones had no effect on my young mind.  I thought that war was about fun times, good friends, and lots of drinking.  We were not taught about the Korean War in school.  I didn't even know there had been such a conflict.  I was innocent.







Why is the Ear Worm singing this to me today?  I can't answer that question.  Perhaps, I need to take my mind back to the innocence of my youth.  Maybe it is time to learn more about the Korean conflict.  Could it be that I just need to sit down and enjoy my favorite show again?  Whatever the reason, I feel thankful that the Ear Worm brought me this song today.

Note to Ear Worm - Enough already!  I've had enough!