Camouflage (Stan Ridgway song)

"Camouflage"
Single by Stan Ridgway
from the album The Big Heat
B-side	"Rio Greyhound"
Released	1986 (1986)
Recorded	Fiddler's Studio, J.C. Studios and The Lighthouse, Hollywood, California, US
Genre	New wave, alternative rock
Length	7:05
Label	I.R.S.
Songwriter(s)	Stan Ridgway
Producer(s)	Louis Van Den Berg
Stan Ridgway singles chronology
"Drive, She Said" (1985) "Camouflage" (1986) "Goin' Southbound" (1989)

"Camouflage" is a song by Stan Ridgway, from his 1986 album The Big Heat. The song was a chart hit in Europe, peaking at #2 in Ireland and #4 in the United Kingdom, but did not enter the chart in the USA.

Lyrics[]

The song, written in the style of a western ballad, is sung from the viewpoint of a young PFC (Private first class) of the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. On a search and destroy mission ("hunting Charlie down") he becomes separated from his patrol. Alone in the jungle, he feels himself surrounded and begins to fear for his life; just then, a "big marine" introducing himself as "Camouflage" comes to his rescue. The two fight together through the course of a night making their way back to base, during which the PFC notices that Camouflage is unaffected by bullets and is capable of superhuman feats. Camouflage leaves after leading the PFC to the edge of his camp. On his return, the PFC is informed that Camouflage had been on his deathbed for the past week, and died the previous night; just before his death, he said "Semper Fi" and expressed his last wish, "to save a young marine".

Chart positions[]

Cover version[]

Swedish power metal band Sabaton covered “Camouflage” on their 2016 album The Last Stand.

References[]

External links[]

• "Camouflage" at Discogs (list of releases)