Istanbul Not Constantinople Lyrics: The Famous Song Explained

To answer that question let’s dive into the history of the iconic song, learn about its origins, its evolution and its impact on music history.

We love Istanbul and everything that’s quirky about this amazing place and that includes anything to do with popular culture such as this hilarious comedy song about the city.

So in this article we’ll discover the story behind the song’s creation and understand why it has such an enduring popularity.

Let’s go!

The Istanbul Not Constantinople Lyrics and Music that combine to form the classic novelty song we know today, were written by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon in 1953.

The song is written in a catchy, upbeat style using clever wordplay to convey the message of the city’s historical significance and was an instant hit in the United States, reaching number 10 on the Billboard charts.

The lyrics to this famous song may slightly vary depending on the version you might be listening to but the original lyrics written by Kennedy and Simon are as follows:

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 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

Istanbul, everybody, Istanbul

The meaning behind the lyrics is to highlight the historical significance of the city of Istanbul, specifically its name change from Constantinople in the 1920s.

The song is a playful and lighthearted way to bring attention to the city’s rich history and the many changes and transformations Istanbul has undergone over the centuries.

The lyrics also mention the “old Turkish rule” and the “jolly young Turk” as a reference to the Ottoman Empire and its rule over the city, showing that the song also wants to bring attention to the city’s political past.

The song’s catchy and upbeat style reflects the vibrant and dynamic nature of the city, making it a perfect anthem for Istanbul’s history and culture.

At least that’s what Kennedy noted in an interview about the song back in the late 1950’s.

Istanbul Not Constantinople was originally recorded by the American doo-wop group The Four Lads in 1953.

The song was actually recorded as a B-side to the Four Lads’ single “Skokiaan”.

The B-side became the hit however and climbed to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and to number 11 on the charts in the UK.

The Four Lads were a Canadian vocal quartet that formed in the early 1950s that were known for their tight harmonies and upbeat style.

They recorded many popular songs during their career that spanned almost 50 years.

The group consisted of Frank Busseri, Bernie Toorish, Jimmie Arnold and Johnny D’Arc,

The song has been covered by many artists and bands over the years.

Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Col Joy’s Band, Frankie Vaughan and more have covered the song over the years.

There have even been multiple different language versions including the most famous version recorded in Spanish by the band The Sacados.

They Might Be Giants, who released a version in 1989, is the most famous of all the cover versions. The version became so popular and was so well received that it appeared on a number of different movie soundtracks as well.

Their version helped to introduce the song to a new generation of listeners.

Most recently the song popped up on the successful NETFLIX program “The Umbrella Academy” in its inaugural season once again bringing the songs popularity back to the fore.

Well maybe more the final thoughts on the song – our thoughts! It’s our blog after all so we do get a say after all.

We love the song, its fun, upbeat and very catchy. Plus with obvious reference to our favorite city on the planet, its a no brainer that we love it.

The song has absolutely proven to be a enduring classic, and is still popular today and should certainly be considered as a classic of its genre.

What do you think of the song? Let us know by sending through a message from the Contact Us section at the bottom of our About Us Page.

We hope you enjoyed finding out more about our favorite Istanbul song and we look forward to you (hopefully) reading more of our articles.

Thanks for reading!

---

Istanbul City FAQs

About Absolute Istanbul

Istanbul History Timeline