A versatile composer, he is unable to be pinned down to any one genre of music. As a producer he has created work for companies such as WWF, US Bank and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet; as a songwriter and performer he has toured 6 countries. Last fall he worked with Emily Haines of Metric to create a music and video installation piece at The Four Seasons Centre in Toronto.
Huang developed a near-cult following in his early twenties as the creative force behind Songs To Wear Pants To, an online musical comedy project that invites anyone to send him instructions for songs - of which he's created over 600 since 2004.
More recently he has become a well-known YouTube personality, his self-produced content and grassroots approach garnering him over 6 million views in the past year alone. With more by-request musical exploits, dialogues created from user submissions, and eccentric, time-intense pieces - watch him create a beat with 1000 pairs of jeans! - his work continues to hit a sweet spot between sound, picture and audience interaction.
Nostalgia
Andrew Huang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreaming up scheming up
Ways of beaming up casts of television
Into these attics
Limited edition action figurines of plastic
Giving me some spastic play time
I'm in the basement
I'm doing backflips
Growing up in the nineties
Defined me as an alternative kid
My clothes shiny
Hair dishevelled
I revelled in the infinite sadness
Teen rebel
Angst filling up the bass to the treble
A few green leaves in the kettle
Wasn't 'til my twenties that i really settled
A bit of me always jittery
Epitomy of the awkward songster
Mind a monster
Recalling my ex-girl
Written these songs full of acidity
When i lost her bitterly, no
But if i could go back, i wouldn't
Even shouldn't
Life wasn't meant to be perfect
But we put it in a box
Could it be that the categories
That we scatter with ease
Pass/fail/win/lose/shatter/appease
Have been plaguing us since like adam and eve
How much do my regrets really matter to me
They all say we can learn from the mistakes
But so many people would rather see them erased
I'm leaving a trace of where i came from
What i've made, done, destroyed
The blame sometimes stings
But i have to rise above the noise
'Cause there are more important things than the past to wallow in
A pill that too many are not swallowing
Sometimes you have to hang up and never call again
Looking at life now
You know what they say about all that ends well
The song "Nostalgia" by Andrew Huang explores the longing to go back to a simpler time in life, specifically the '90s, when the singer was a carefree kid playing with toy action figures and watching their favorite TV shows. They describe feeling like an alternative, rebellious teenager filled with angst and sorrow, and how losing their ex-girlfriend led to writing bitter songs full of acidity. However, they come to the realization that life was never meant to be perfect, and regrets shouldn't define who they are today. The singer acknowledges that people often wish to erase their mistakes instead of learning from them, but they prefer to leave a mark of where they came from and what they've accomplished, even if the blame sometimes stings. Ultimately, the singer understands that dwelling on the past won't bring them happiness and that it's more important to move on and focus on what truly matters in life.
Line by Line Meaning
If i were a kid, still
If I were a child once again
Dreaming up scheming up
Imagining and devising
Ways of beaming up casts of television
Inventing ways to bring TV characters to life
Into these attics
In the attics of my imagination
Limited edition action figurines of plastic
Collectible toy figures made of plastic
Giving me some spastic play time
Providing exciting and energetic playtime
I'm in the basement
Playing in the basement
I'm doing backflips
Performing acrobatics
I'm in a park jurassic
Imagining myself in Jurassic Park
Growing up in the nineties
My formative years were in the 1990s
Defined me as an alternative kid
Shaped my identity as non-mainstream
My clothes shiny
I wore flashy clothes
Hair dishevelled
My hair was messy
I revelled in the infinite sadness
I enjoyed feeling melancholic
Teen rebel
I was a teenage rebel
Angst filling up the bass to the treble
My emotional turmoil expressed in music
A few green leaves in the kettle
I smoked some marijuana
Wasn't 'til my twenties that i really settled
I only found stability in my 20s
A bit of me always jittery
A part of me was always anxious
Epitomy of the awkward songster
The personification of a clumsy musician
Mind a monster
My thoughts could be monstrous
Recalling my ex-girl
Thinking of my former girlfriend
Written these songs full of acidity
Composed bitter songs
When i lost her bitterly, no
When I mourned her loss
But if i could go back, i wouldn't
But in hindsight, I wouldn't change anything
Even shouldn't
Because it's not necessary
Life wasn't meant to be perfect
Life is not supposed to be flawless
But we put it in a box
But we expect it to be
Could it be that the categories
Is it possible that the labels we use
That we scatter with ease
That we use too carelessly
Pass/fail/win/lose/shatter/appease
Pass or fail, win or lose, break or comfort
Have been plaguing us since like adam and eve
Have been troubling us since the beginning of time
How much do my regrets really matter to me
How much do my past mistakes truly affect me
They all say we can learn from the mistakes
People say we can grow from our errors
But so many people would rather see them erased
But a lot of people prefer to forget them
I'm leaving a trace of where i came from
I am documenting my origins
What i've made, done, destroyed
What I have created, accomplished or ruined
The blame sometimes stings
Being blamed can hurt
But i have to rise above the noise
But I must ignore the noise and persevere
'Cause there are more important things than the past to wallow in
Because there are more significant things to focus on than the past
A pill that too many are not swallowing
A solution that too many refuse to accept
Sometimes you have to hang up and never call again
Sometimes it's best to move on and never look back
Looking at life now
Reflecting on the present
You know what they say about all that ends well
You know the adage that goes "All's well that ends well"
Contributed by Hudson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Spencer Jessee
Equally impressive that you made music in 15/8 that 1) doesn't suck, and 2) doesn't sound like it's in 15/8.
I'm not saying it isn't, it clearly is, but I really enjoy how well you played with the different subdivisions to really make it flow.
Yvan Cluet
When well used, an odd time signature never sounds "like it's in an odd time signature". You know you've mastered it when it flows naturally :)
neutralskies
Spencer Jessee you should check out a lot of radiohead stuff, especially Sail To The Moon off hail to the thief. That track alone goes through about 6 different time signatures and yet sounds completely natural
LMC
@Yvan Cluet dream theater would like to have a word with you lol
Yvan Cluet
@LMC they are great but their Last album is the perfect demonstration of why you shouldnt force 7/8 onto à perfectly fine 4/4 riff
Grinsekotze
To me it sounds like just three bars of 4/8 followed by a bar of 3/8
Chris Neary
would love to here Andrew remake this with his skills he's picked up over the years
Carlitox b
with his brand new editing skills as well
Catflip
@Carlitox b fr his new synths would be sick as hell on this one
zealot027
Not many people can perform in odd time signatures well, let alone with a groove/flow this good. Major props, man.