Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Lyrics

This catchy tune is more than just a history lesson set to music. It uses the renaming of cities—specifically Constantinople to Istanbul and New Amsterdam to New York—as a metaphor for change and the passage of time. The song suggests that these changes,… Read more

Alternative
Jan 5, 1990
16
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Music Video

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Lyrics

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, oh 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

Writer(s): Jimmy Kennedy, Nat Simon
Copyright(s): Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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What is the Meaning of Istanbul (Not Constantinople)?

This catchy tune is more than just a history lesson set to music. It uses the renaming of cities—specifically Constantinople to Istanbul and New Amsterdam to New York—as a metaphor for change and the passage of time. The song suggests that these changes, while sometimes confusing or frustrating, are inescapable and often come about due to popular consensus ("People just liked it better that way"). The repeated line "That's nobody's business but the Turks" implies a respect for cultural sovereignty and the right of societies to shape their own identities. Ultimately, this song reminds us that change is constant, inevitable, and often beyond our control. #Change #TimePasses #CulturalIdentity

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