Stan Ridgway

Camouflage

I was a PFC on search patrol huntin’ Charlie down,
It was in the jungle wars of '65
My weapon jammed and I got stuck way out and all alone,
And I could hear the enemy movin’ in close outside
Just then I heard a twig snap and I grabbed my empty gun,
And I dug in scared while I counted down my fate
And then a big marine, a giant with a pair of friendly eyes,
Appeared there at my shoulder and said wait
When he came in close beside me he said, “Don’t worry, son, I’m here, if Charlie wants to tangle
Now he’ll have two to dodge.”
I said, “Well thanks a lot.”, I told him my name and asked him his,
And he said, ”The boys just call me Camouflage.”

Refrain:
Whoa… Camouflage. Things are never quite the way they seem
Whoa… Camouflage. I was awfully glad to see this big marine

We fought all night and side by side we took our battle stance,
And I wondered how the bullets missed this man
‘Cause they seemed to go right through him as if he wasn’t there,
and in the mornin’ we both took a chance and ran
and it was near the river bank when the ambush came on top of us,
and I’d thought it was the end and we were had
and the bullet with my name on it came buzzin’ through a bush,
and that big marine he just swat it his hand

Refrain:
Whoa… Camouflage. Things are never quite the way they seem
Whoa… Camouflage. I was awfully glad to see this big marine

And I knew there was something weird about him.
‘Cause when I turned around
he was pullin’ a big palm tree, rit up out of the ground
and swatting those Charlie’s with it from here to Kingdom come
When he led me out danger, I saw my camp and waved goodbye
But he just winked at me from the jungle and then was gone
And when I got back to my HQ, I told ‘em about my night
At the battle I’d spent with a big marine named Camouflage

When I said his name a soldier gulped and a medic took my arm,
And led me to the green tent on the right
He said, “You may be tellin’ the truth boy, but this here is Camouflage
And he’s been right here since he passed away last night.”
Bust before he went he said, “Semper Fi,” and said his only wish,
Was to save a young marine caught in a barrage
So here, take this dog tag some, I know he’d wont you to have it now.”
And we both said a prayer for a big marine named Camouflage

Refrain:
Whoa… Camouflage. Things are never quite the way they seem
Whoa… Camouflage. I was awfully glad to see this big marine