Rolling Stones – Under Cover of the Night – Lyrics about the desperate situation in Chile and Argentina under the juntas – the torture and forced prostitution.

This song was influenced by a William Burroughs novel.

It was about the brutality of the Juntas in South America. In Chile the CIA instigated a coup against Allende who they considered too socialist. The Junta were particularly callous and vicious. Tens of thousands of trade unionists, writers, Allende supporters, activists and teachers were rounded up tortured and disappeared. – the disparu.

There is also reference to the apartheid in South Africa and the enforced sex trade.

Cuddle up baby – let’s pretend it is not still happening!

Centre 42 is a torture centre. How many torture centres do you think there are today?

Under Cover of the Night

Hear the screams of Center 42
Loud enough to bust your brains out
The opposition’s tongue is cut in two
Keep off the street ’cause you’re in danger

One hundred thousand disparus
Lost in the jails in South America

Cuddle up baby, cuddle up tight
Cuddle up baby, keep it all out of sight
Undercover, keep it all out of sight
Undercover of the night

The sex police are out there on the streets
Make sure the pass laws are not broken
The race militia has got itchy fingers
All the way from New York back to Africa

Cuddle up baby, keep it all out of sight
Cuddle up baby, keep it all out of sight
Cuddle up baby, keep it all out of sight

Undercover, undercover, undercover
Keep it all out of sight
Undercover of the night

All the young men, they’ve been rounded up
And sent to camps back in the jungle
And people whisper people double-talk

And once proud fathers act so humble
All the young girls they have got the blues
They’re heading on back to Center 42

Undercover, all out of sight
Undercover, all out of sight
Undercover, all out of sight, undercover
Keep it all out of sight, undercover of the night

Down in the bars the girls are painted blue
Done up in lace, done up in rubber
The John’s are jerky little G.I. Joe’s
On R&R from Cuba and Russia
The smell of sex, the smell of suicide
All these dream things I can’t keep inside

Undercover all out of sight
Undercover of the night

Undercover of the night
Undercover of the night

Undercover, undercover
Undercover of the night

Read more: Rolling Stones – Undercover Of The Night Lyrics | MetroLyrics