# Istanbul,l not Consantinaple **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2000, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179 "2000-08-13T07:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/1 "2000-08-13T07:55:56Z")
I remember being a child. My father often sang to me a song about Istanbul. I wonder what that song was. “Istanbul was Constinaple, now it’s Istanul not Constinople.” Help me. who recorded this song? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/2 "2000-08-13T08:01:30Z")
They Might Be Giants ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/3 "2000-08-13T08:01:34Z")
Uhhhh… Ru Paul? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/4 "2000-08-13T08:13:45Z")
It was fairly easy to find [the lyrics](http://www.intac.com/~rsegall/istanbul.html) because of the cover by They Might Be Giants - but the song goes back to the late forties or early fifties (I think). I have the sheet music knocking around here somewhere. I’ll keep looking to see if I can find who first recorded it. ---
**Author:** ![bunnymom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@bunnymom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunnymom)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/5 "2000-08-13T08:20:30Z")
The Kingston Trio. I just loved that, too. Another obscure one I wish I could find was called “Dont go in the basement”. Ever heard of it? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/6 "2000-08-13T08:59:42Z")
Ah - found it! According to a FAQ at alt.music.tmbg (They Might Be Giants), “The Four Lads were the first group to record this song, the record having been released in 1951.” In the same FAQ, someone else mentions a version by the Ames Brothers (as in Ed Ames, TV’s Mingo on _Daniel Boone_). Looks like your dad had several versions to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/7 "2000-08-13T09:10:42Z")
Am I the only one who fell in love with that song because of the _Tiny Toons_ music video to it? The one with Plucky running around in Arabian-ish clothing? Man, those were the days… that, and _Particle Man_. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/8 "2000-08-13T10:01:48Z")
NOPE! That is exactly where I heard them first!! I loved that cartoon!! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/9 "2000-08-13T18:36:21Z")
I first heard it being sung by the Whiffenpoofs. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/10 "2000-08-13T18:47:10Z")
I certainly hope that there is still quality, _irreverent_ childrens programming making it to the masses. I’d hate to see the Care Bears (or their functional equivalent) return en mass. [Shudders]. ~~Baloo ---
**Author:** ![jessicala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jessicala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessicala)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/11 "2000-08-13T18:50:39Z")
Curse you all, this song is now stuck in my head. 😛 _Even Old New York was once New Amsterdam …_ ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/12 "2000-08-13T18:55:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly \* > \*\*Am I the only one who fell in love with that song because of the _Tiny Toons_ music video to it? The one with Plucky running around in Arabian-ish clothing? > > Man, those were the days… that, and _Particle Man_. \*\* I loved that show. But then I grew up a bit, and only find that segment and the other musical segments funny. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/13 "2000-08-13T19:50:14Z")
Uncle Beer must be slipping. The **obvious only** correct answer here is: > [@](#): > > That’s nobody’s business but the Turks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/14 "2000-08-13T21:53:36Z")
That song was used once in a short that appeared in Spike and Mike’s Animation Festival. As I remember, the visuals were extremely lame, but nobody noticed because that song drives everything else out of your head. ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/istanbul-l-not-consantinaple/29179/15 "2000-08-13T22:37:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > I first heard it being sung by the Whiffenpoofs. Sorry, **Uke,** obviously you’ve forgotten Rules 1, 3, 5 and 7: NO Whiffenpoofters!