It's not Istanbul it is Constantinople

I’ve come up with a theory. The world can be divided into three groups of people…

Those who when they hear the word Constantinople think of the Residents (those are the cool people), those who think of TMBG (those are the geeks), and those who don’t think of either (those are the one’s who should be shot.)

I’m a geek.

Sue Duhnym is a hottie. I saw her pic on the straight dope’s people’s page WOWWWWEEEEEEE! Anyways I’m a geek.

I’m a geek. I don’t know the song, but I do know the reference.

Geek. But I’ve been insisting on that for ages now, anyway.

Geek.

Istanbul, not Constantinople. Get it right. :smiley:

Anyways, I’m a geek. I spend all my time on the computer, what else would I be?

Geek.

I’m a geek. Didn’t need your test to tell me that, though!

Geek primarily.

1982: In Nepal Elephant polo began, CATS opened on Broadway, Chicago Cubs won their 8,000th game, The Space Shuttle Columbia completed its first operational flight, Michael Jackson releases Thriller, The first successful heart transplant, andygirl born

[Edited by Coldfire on 01-19-2001 at 04:05 AM]

Geek.

Face it. Damn near ALL of us fall into the “geek” category, lending credence to my theory that one day, TMBG will rise to dominate the globe and it’ll be neither Istanbul nor Constantinople, but the gleaming city of Johnopolis where the shrine to the Holy Accordion stands at the center…

::slap::

Sorry. That’s the last time I listen to the Factory Showroom sessions while I post. I promise.

OK, so I think of the Byzantine Empire, the Conferences of Constantinople and Nicea, Emperor Justinian, Saint John Chrysostem, Hagia Sophia, the Gallipoli Campaign of WWI, the Ottoman Empire the Crusades, and, of course, TMBG. Sure I’m a geek, but at least one with a good knowledge of history. Just don’t shoot me.

Geek.

i do NOT think of that song at all. I know it, but it does not play in my mind. I’m one of the cool people. Actually the way people in chat obsess over it, i’m beginning to be glad i dont have any desire to listen to it at all. I do think of the residents, the Hagia Sophia, Byzantine, Constantine, The Ottoman empire, but NOT TMBG.

A geek. But with TMBG on the brain, a very cheerful geek.
…Oh, and a mammal, too.

Actually, I don’t think of a particular group, but I’ve been familiar the song since I was a wee flodnak. And since that was years before TMBG formed, I can’t possibly be thinking of their cover version. Hell, I didn’t know TMBG had made a cover version before I saw it mentioned right here on these very message boards.

But I remember singing “Why did Constantinople get the works? / That’s nobody’s business but the Turks” in school one day and having the other kids look at me like I was from Mars. Of course, they often looked at me like I was from Mars, but this was a special case.

Yep, I remember it as being in one of the lovely old musicals from the 40’s or early 50’s too, but I’d already heard the TMBG version when I saw that. It’s also been recorded by The Four Lads, The Ames Brothers, Katerina Valente, and, I assume, others. It was written in '43 or '44, so it’s been around.

I know about the name change and all, but does anybody know why “Constantinople” got the works? :smiley:

Geek

http://www.sephardichouse.org/istanbul.html

…That’s nobody’s business but the Turks!