Suicide is Painless
Lady Bird Lyrics

The opening lines of Lady Bird's song Suicide Is Painless sets the tone for the entire song. The singer envisions the future and sees only pain and suffering. The words "the pains that are withheld for me" suggests that the singer is holding back the pain but knows that it's there waiting for them. The singer realizes that suicide is an option that will bring about an end to the pain they fear.

The chorus of the song is a repeated refrain. "Suicide is painless, it brings on many changes, and I can take or leave it if I please." The singer uses this chorus to express their resignation towards life. They feel they don't have the power to control their fate; whether they live or die doesn't matter.

The third verse introduces the metaphor of the "sword of time," which will inevitably bring death. The singer acknowledges the inevitability of death but seems to suggest that suicide would spare them the agony of prolonged suffering.

One interesting fact about the song is that it was written for the movie M*A*S*H. The music was composed by Johnny Mandel, and the lyrics were penned by director Robert Altman's 14-year-old son, Michael, who was paid $1,000 for the job. Another fascinating fact is that the song was originally called "The Suicide Is Painless." The producers of the film thought that it was too morose and dropped the "The" from the title.

The song was later recorded and released by an American band called The Mash, which consisted of session musicians who played on the M*A*S*H soundtrack. Since its release, the song has been covered numerous times by various artists. One of the most popular renditions was recorded by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers for the soundtrack of the film "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless) is the only instrumental song ever to reach number one in the UK charts.

Another interesting fact is that despite the popularity of the song, the original version from the M*A*S*H soundtrack was never released as a single. However, the instrumental version of the song performed by the group The Mash reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1970.

The original lyrics to the song contained a verse that was deemed too controversial to include in the film. The verse discussed the role of doctors in prolonging suffering and ended with the line "The game of life is hard to play, I'm gonna lose it anyway."

The chords for Suicide is Painless (Lady Bird version) are as follows:

Verse: Em - G - D - A
Chorus: G - A - Em
Bridge: Em - A - D - A

Overall, the song Suicide Is Painless is a representation of the feelings of hopelessness and despair that can be all-consuming during periods of intense emotional pain. The singer accepts the inevitability of death but suggests that suicide is a way to bypass the agony of prolonged suffering. The song is a reminder of the fragility of human life and a call to approach those who may be experiencing such profound emotions with compassion and understanding.