An older song recorded back when I was making cassettes for friends rather than CDs... but a clear favourite of my friends.

The Little Things

A guitar track from my 1996 CD, 'Halfway Round'

Why Can't I Be Superman

From my 1994 cassette, 'Bald', recorded in Toronto, Ontario.

Song About the Weather

Your Eyes

This song was written in 1993 and then recorded sometime in 1995 on my electric piano, using a borrowed 4-track tape recorder. I had no idea what I was doing really - and while an angel named Jan helped salvage the track to put on my CD 'Halfway Round', the quality of the recording is pretty bad, and the songwriting is young.

But it's heartfelt and I wanted to post it up here on Soundcloud to share with a few friends..

Here are the lyrics.

Why I Write Songs   (August 11, 1993)

Here I am once again, here I am twice again
Clouds through the window and the question for the day
is why I write songs, is why I sing
and what the clouds will bring me this time

I write songs to say goodbye
I write songs to help me cry
I write songs to celebrate my memories

Here I am two verses in & I have not mentioned your name
is this song about you or is it about me
news through the grapevine that the pain has finally stopped
is this song from me, or a final gift from you?

I was crying when I left you
You took my head in your hands
And kissed each tear-stained part of my face
I knew I'd never forget that place
I fell into a taxi, and I was gone...

I never had me a teacher... for my songs
but you stopped in and heard me sing
"make that line more interesting" you said "vary your styles"
"When you sing, feel the words you write..."

Shall I write to your daughter, tell her how much I'm sorry
Wish her strength beyond her years
tell her you're why I write songs, and why I sing
and tell her all you meant to me	

I write songs to say goodbye
I write songs to help me cry
I write songs to celebrate my memories

You're why I write songs, you're why I sing
You're why I write songs, you're why I sing
You're why I write songs, you're why I sing

I write songs to say...   goodbye.         

Why I Write Songs

Never the Same

The first track off my... cassette (did people actually make cassettes?) from 1999, the year I arrived in Sydney, Australia.

Takeoffs and Landings

Out of the Blue

How honoured I was that the London gay and lesbian choir, the Pink Singers, sang and recorded my song, Big City, a tribute, really, to life in a big city: the possibilities, the adventure.

Hand In Hand

Big City

Wow. Is this ever fun - and way better than Myspace - a way to share music and listen to my friends' music too. 

I write songs. I sing songs. I used to put them onto tapes and then a CD or two. And I hope sometime soon to record a new track or two. Happy to have found a way to easily share them.

I was born in Vancouver, Canada and now live in the also-beautiful city of Sydney, Australia. 

Andy Quan