When my daughter was younger, on most nights I would sing her a song or two before putting her to bed. But as Miss Mary Mack grew older, she eventually decided she didn't want me to do that every night. Once a week or so, however, I'll still sing her a goodnight song. Until recently, it has been something from my repertoire of lullaby songs -- "Hush Little Baby," perhaps, or Brahms' Lullaby (the "doo doo doo" song, with other silly sounds as well).
But for some reason -- Miss Mary Mack has been very vague as to her motivation -- in recent weeks she has requested "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," a Jimmy Kennedy/Nat Simon song from the early 1950s whose prominence in my brain is 100% due to They Might Be Giants, who recorded a version for their essential 1990 album Flood.
So now I bring up the TMBG version, with the weird vocalizations and instrumental parts, in my mind using memories of an album twenty years old and am thankful I still get to sing lullabies for my daughter.
They Might Be Giants - "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - [YouTube]
