They Might Be Giants, Istanbul (Not Constantinople) | COVERS

In the 11^th edition of COVERS (2026), They Might Be Giants delivers a compelling rendition of “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” originally by The Four Lads.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician. COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established and lesser-known musicians. In the 11^th edition of COVERS (2026), They Might Be Giants delivers a compelling rendition of “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”, originally performed by The Four Lads.

They Might Be Giants (John Flansburgh and John Linnell) are renowned for the song “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”, a song about the ancient Constantinople that is now modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. BUT, it should be noted, they weren’t the first to record it. “Istanbul” dates back to 1953, when it was originally recorded by the Canadian traditional pop quartet The Four Lads.  The song was written by Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy (1902 – 1984) and Nat Simon (1900 – 1979).  This novelty classic appears as the second single and fourth track from They Might Be Giants’ platinum-certified 1990 album, Flood.

They Might Be Giants put in work on their renowned rendition of “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).”  The novelty song remains short, running only about two-and-a-half minutes long. Even so, it is sweet.  Also, it runs slightly longer than the original, which is slower in tempo. The ears perk up as you hear Mark Feldman’s sweet violin playing.  The violin is one of many key instruments.  Another key instrument is the accordion, which is a common instrument in Turkish music. John Linnell handles the accordion duties masterfully.  With the Turkish music cues firmly planted and an exceptional groove, “Istanbul” cooks musically.  The sound is as playful as the original from the 1950s, while updated to fit the bill in the 1990s.  It is less jazzy than the original, embracing alternative and Turkish folk. Beyond the instrumental triumphs, the vocals are superb, too.  The novelty doesn’t wear off even the slightest in the hands of John Flansburgh.  There are fewer voices and harmonies, but no dropoff whatsoever in quality. It is hard to top a classic, but They Might Be Giants make “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” their own, and it never grows stale!

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They Might Be Giants » Flood » Elektra Entertainment » 1990

They Might Be Giants, Istanbul (Not Constantinople): Covers No. 11 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Elektra Entertainment; Alan Cordero, Flávia Vicentini from Pexels; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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