Camouflage (Stan Ridgway song)

"Camouflage"
Single by Stan Ridgway
from the album The Big Heat
B-side	"Rio Greyhound"
Released	1986 (1986)
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	Fiddler's Studio, J.C. Studios and The Lighthouse, Hollywood, CA
Genre	New wave, alternative rock
Length	7:05
Label	I.R.S.
Writer(s)	Stan Ridgway
Producer(s)	Louis Van Den Berg
Stan Ridgway singles chronology
"Drive, She Said" (1985) "Camouflage" (1986) "Goin' Southbound" (1989)
The Big Heat track listing "Twisted" (8) "Camouflage" (9)

"Camouflage" is a 1986 Stan Ridgway song from the album The Big Heat. Despite not charting in the United States the song was a top 5 European hit, peaking at 2 in Ireland and number 4 in the United Kingdom.

Song plot

The song is sung from the viewpoint of a young P.F.C. (Private first class) of the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam war. On a search and destroy mission he is separated from his patrol. Alone in the jungle, he fears for his life and, unexpectedly, a big marine comes to his rescue introducing himself as Camouflage. 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 has been on his death bed for the past week and died the previous night.

Chart positions

References

External links

• "Camouflage" at Discogs (list of releases)