I have an ancient 8-track tape bootlegged for me by a friend in St. Paul MN, of an old Prarie Home Companion broadcast before the program was national. It contains the Song of the Freshwater Whalers, and explains some of the mysteries about the song. For instance rowing out to "The Horizon" refers to a supper club in Two Harbors just north of Duluth on Lake Superior. And in fact, the freshwater whaling expedition was on Lake Superior, where they hunted the Superior Sperm.The story remained unknown for so long because of the tragic end of the expedition, when Captain Ingemar Thorvaldsen was struck down in his youth when a decoy fell on him.

(Your grandparents can explain about 8-track tapes.

O'Meara