To expand on the interpretation that this song is about a boy who dreams about running away and taking a bus out of town - which ties into the album's concept - I'd say "Chartered Trips" is about contemplating a "trip away."
As the saying goes, "the grass is always greener..." and running away to a different town seems like the solution to a problem, but "nothing's ever solved."
We assume the protagonist takes the "chartered trip away" because by the time we get to "The Biggest Lie" he is considering returning back to his day job, girlfriend, and home town, but is disillusioned with the hypocrisy of it all.
Regardless of what "Chartered Trips" actually means, it is hands down my favorite Bob Mould penned Hüsker Dü song.
As for the "boy going off to war" interpretation, I think it'd be more apt to say that it's about him briefly joining the military, but not necessarily going to war. Then again, there's nothing in the lyrics that explicitly suggest that the "chartered trip" is of a military nature.
As for the "boy going off to war" interpretation, I think it'd be more apt to say that it's about him briefly joining the military, but not necessarily going to war. Then again, there's nothing in the lyrics that explicitly suggest that the "chartered trip" is of a military nature.
To expand on the interpretation that this song is about a boy who dreams about running away and taking a bus out of town - which ties into the album's concept - I'd say "Chartered Trips" is about contemplating a "trip away."
As the saying goes, "the grass is always greener..." and running away to a different town seems like the solution to a problem, but "nothing's ever solved."
We assume the protagonist takes the "chartered trip away" because by the time we get to "The Biggest Lie" he is considering returning back to his day job, girlfriend, and home town, but is disillusioned with the hypocrisy of it all.
Regardless of what "Chartered Trips" actually means, it is hands down my favorite Bob Mould penned Hüsker Dü song.
As for the "boy going off to war" interpretation, I think it'd be more apt to say that it's about him briefly joining the military, but not necessarily going to war. Then again, there's nothing in the lyrics that explicitly suggest that the "chartered trip" is of a military nature.
As for the "boy going off to war" interpretation, I think it'd be more apt to say that it's about him briefly joining the military, but not necessarily going to war. Then again, there's nothing in the lyrics that explicitly suggest that the "chartered trip" is of a military nature.