"Thy lips are warm." is from Romeo and Juliet. It is what Juliet says after the Romeo's fake suicide just before she commits the real thing with a dagger.

yep -- Act 5, scene 3

The story also uses the lark/nightingale quote, and I knew that one straight off. But this Istanbul/Constantinople thing mystifies me. There is no earthly reason for those words to even be in the story unless they're a reference to something, and it's driving me nuts. (There's also one quick reference to Paris in regards to a character, which threw me for a moment until I realized it was a reference to Count Paris, not the city.)

I found the They Might Be Giants lyrics (which brought back a memory of hearing it sung once a cappella), but I don't think they apply to the situation here.

Well, it's a TMBG cover. That's an old song.

Megan beat me to it. Original version is from the 50s or thereabouts.

There is no earthly reason for those words to even be in the story unless they're a reference to something, and it's driving me nuts

Well, it could be about constancy and almost a deeper reference to the idea that a "rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Changing the name of Constantinople changes little about the history, character or architecture of the city. It's a re-reference to that idea, perhaps.

Earwormed now. Not unpleasant, though.

Even old New York, was once New Amsterdam...

Original version is from the 50s or thereabouts.

Popularized by the Four Lads.

My grandpa had that song on a greatest Hits of the 50's tape that I loved, and I was so surprised when everyone kept talking about the TMBG's version as if it were a new song.

My mother had a 78rpm record of some 40s/50s group doing the song.

I remember driving my mom somewhere while I was playing a mix tape in my car which included a bunch of TMBG songs. She was just half-listening until "Istanbul" came on, then she started singing along. I had no clue it was a cover until she said she knew it from when she was in high school.

My daughter has a whole dance routine to the TMBG version that she learned at the YMCA last summer.

I remember driving my mom somewhere while I was playing a mix tape in my car which included a bunch of TMBG songs. She was just half-listening until "Istanbul" came on, then she started singing along. I had no clue it was a cover until she said she knew it from when she was in high school.

wait, I thought that was me and my mom. Did she then go on to tell you about what a great song, "SH-Boom" is?