The Four Lads (#10
in 1953),
They Might Be Giants (1990)
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night
Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way
So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks
Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks
So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks
Istanbul
Words by Jimmy Kennedy
Music by Nat Simon
"It's Istanbul, not Constantinople now ...." Leave it to Tin Pan Alley
to turn centuries of ethnic and religious struggles into a catchy ditty.
This song, although copyrighted by Kennedy and Simon, is a direct descendant
of the humourous piece, "Al-Bar the Bubul Emir" that could be found in the
pages of "Captain Billy's Whizbang," an early 20th century precursor to
"Mad Magazine."
