Country band Midland, known for their hit songs ‘Drinkin’ Problem’ and ‘Cheatin’ Songs,’ just released a new music video that might have you asking, “Were they drunk when they filmed this?”

Released on Jan. 22 for its song ‘Sunrise Tells the Story,’ the band’s latest video features the tale of a junior enlisted Marine stealing away to hook up with his Colonel’s daughter during his retirement party with a little help from his battle buddies.

The video starts off with three Marines singing on stage at a lavish party, where the service members are all in (out of regulation) dress uniforms, and the women are in black tie.

“‘Sunrise Tells The Story’ riffs on the ‘Officer & A Gentlemannotion of the class structures, formalities, and realities of military life,” Midland guitarist and vocalist Jess Carson said in a release. “But rather than the heroine being a local girl, the young woman is the chief officer’s daughter — and the location is his retirement party.”

As the song progresses, one of the Marines follows the young woman into a dimly lit room with a pool table, where it’s implied that he... makes a forward advance after breaching her shores.

As her father, the colonel, begins looking for her at the party, the two Marines realize that they need to create a tactical diversion to stall him. In true devil dog fashion, they fake a fight, which causes one of them to dramatically fall into the pool after being punched in the face.

“Equal parts buddy movie, burgeoning romance and a bit of the morning after, ‘Sunrise’ is a classic spin on themes, euphoria and the way a great country song lifts everything around it,” Carson added.

Thanks to his friends’ ability to improvise, adapt and overcome, Pvt. Sneaky makes his exit out the back door, just in time for the woman’s father to come and see her innocently applying lipstick, alone, while sitting on the edge of the pool table.

When Pvt. Sneaky arrives outside, he is greeted by a getaway Jeep driven by his battle buddies. Together, they all drive off into the sunset, which apparently is the narrator of the story — or at least that’s what the lyrics tell us.

And the moon saw it all through a thin piece of glass

And the stars must have blushed when you kissed me like that

We can’t hide the evidence

It’s scattered everywhere in all its naked glory

The night knows the truth

But the sunrise tells the story

Semper sunrise, boys.

Observation Post is the Military Times one-stop shop for all things off-duty. Stories may reflect author observations.

Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.

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