"Camouflage" is a song by Stan Ridgway, released as the third single from his 1986 debut solo album ''

The Big Heat ''The Big Heat'' is a 1953 American film noir crime film directed by Fritz Lang starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and Jocelyn Brando about a cop who takes on the crime syndicate that controls his city. William P. McGivern's serial in ''The ...

''. The song was a chart hit in Europe, peaking at No. 2 in Ireland and No. 4 in the United Kingdom, but did not enter the chart in the US. A cover version of the song was published in 2016 by the Swedish power-metal band

Sabaton A sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's body armor that covers the foot. History Fourteenth and fifteenth century sabatons typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot, following fashionable shoe shapes ...

in the album The Last Stand .

Lyrics

The song, written in the style of a cowboy ballad, is sung from the viewpoint of a young PFC ( Private first class) of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. On a

search and destroy Search and destroy, seek and destroy, or simply S&D is a military strategy best known for its employment in the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. The strategy consists of inserting ground forces into hostile territory, ''search''ing out ...

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".

Charts

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Camouflage (Stan Ridgway song) 1985 songs 1986 singles I.R.S. Records singles Stan Ridgway songs Songs about ghosts Songs written by Stan Ridgway Songs of the Vietnam War