https://youtube.com/shorts/kyNhApnZaC4?si=GLlHWTyZ4TmGAqpa
This is truly an ageless song by Suzi and Norman, marked by the perfect harmony of their voices. I have always appreciated Suzi’s raw and authentic tone. I believe she stands at the top of her style as a female singer.
In this 1978 piece, “Istanbul” refers directly to the city itself. The lyrics also describe a girl who is portrayed as young and “tombul” (well-rounded she), sitting and eating at a table — an image that adds a touch of playful realism to the song. The words also bring out her brainy personality.
Most importantly, while walking is no doubt a healthy exercise for anyone, the girl in the song also reflects Suzi’s unique walking dance style, not running, not too slow. Suzi’s clothing and accessories also resemble this style. The quick pace of her walk-dance mirrors the girl in the song’s story, with small jumps resembling the way she would step on and off Istanbul’s frequent pavements. She is portrayed as a passionate Istanbul walker — sometimes covering as much as 40 km a day.
As a coincidence, the always-healthy girl from Istanbul (who later became an American in her successful science career) had a distinctly European appearance, and one of her relatives even resembled Suzi, especially in her face and colored eyes. (This story has been edited by ChatGPT.)
Although the song radiates romance with “a heart on the table,” the “Istanbul” girl of those years was deeply absorbed in the toughest science courses and long, healthy walks through Istanbul while preparing for Turkey’s deadly hardest nationwide exam — leaving no time for romance. Sure, with determination, she triumphed in that exam.
