Friday Videos -- Greatest Song of all Time Edition
Harvey sends us this visually stunning dance remix of the classic Istanbul:
This is good, but it lacks the magic and deep meaning of the lyrics of the song.
Many years ago Harvey sent me a mix tape (sorry, kids, if you don't know what that is -- no time to explain) entitled "Tunes Harv Digs" which really needs to be recreated as an an iTunes playlist for all the world to enjoy. I rediscovered the tape some years later, when my older daughter was five or six, and she loved it, especially the They Might Be Giants cover of Istanbul.
Here's the TMBG version, as acted out by the Tiny Toons:
Hannah and I decided that Istanbul is the greatest song of all time. It has yet to be dethroned for me -- haven't checked in with her on it lately.
However, if it has any competition at all, it comes from the epic Birdhouse in Your Soul:
If you want more TMBG, check out their TED "talk:
Their last song, Alphabet of Nations, is pretty awesome.

Comments
That old Istanbul tune comes from my friend Markowee's channel in Finland. He has an amazing record collection and his channel is all about that. Check out his funky old collection.
Posted by: Harvey | October 23, 2009 03:25 PM
I still dig They Might Be Giants, and am happy you and Hannah do to. And, you know, they have a robot song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXd_n_HYDhU
Posted by: Harvey | October 23, 2009 03:48 PM
My all-time favorite is this rockin' song by The Nylons, a Canadian a capella group. It's absolutely irresistible.
Bop Til You Drop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAswm4NT1sY
Bop til you drop
Shake it til you break it
Move it til you lose it
Dance Dance!
Posted by: Sally Morem | October 23, 2009 10:06 PM