The story of Barrett`s Privateers and their fictitious ship with the ironic moniker, The Antelope, has borne innumerable keggers and bellow-fests around the world into the raptures of song with its dual refrain and lengthy narrative. Our national personality is expertly expressed through Stan Rogers` rollicking melody and delicious phrasing. The attention to detail and aloof sarcasm of the stoic narrator qualify him as an iconic Canadian Ishmael, a character fitted to the literary tradition of Robert Service or Yann Martel. The explicitly populist and pacifist nobility of his spirit is wagered and sacrificed against the promise / curse of American gold. Drawing from recent news, The Antelope might be a telling metaphor for our current ship of state.
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