Jonathan Segel is a multi-instrumentalist perhaps most known as the violini… Read Full Bio ↴Jonathan Segel is a multi-instrumentalist perhaps most known as the violinist of Camper Van Beethoven. His first solo album, the 2 lp set Storytelling, came out in 1988. Since that time he has worked in the bands Hieronymus Firebrain, Jack and Jill, and Dent (all on the Magnetic Records label he co-runs with Victor Krummenacher of CVB). In recent years, Segel has expanded his performance repetoire with a diverse range of experimental, electronic and improvisational works. He has released a number of short-run releases, worked on collaborations with Fred Frith,Joelle Leandre, and others. He continues to make music as a solo artist in numerous genres, while continuing to make music with Camper Van Beethoven. He has also scored a number of films, both features (notably "The Invisibles" a film in which he has a cameo as the ghost of John Lennon) and shorts, and done work for modern dance performances.

Losing Touch
Jonathan Segel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The world is beautiful
And it's so big
I want to see it all
I want to see just how big

I know you feel it too
It's not just me?
Tell me you feel it too

Tell me that you see

'Cause I think I'm losing touch

Please look at me
Tell me who you see
Not the mask upon my face
Tell me who to be

It's just too much for me
I want to leave without a trace
No, I'm not crying
That's just the rain on my face

I think I'm losing touch

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jonathan Segel's "Losing Touch" delve into themes of feeling lost, disconnected from oneself and others, and a desire to escape from the overwhelming pressures of society. The opening lines evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about the vastness of the world and a desire to explore it. However, the following lines reveal a sense of doubt and anxiety about this desire, as the singer wonders if others share this feeling or if they are alone in their desire to escape.

The chorus of the song, "I think I'm losing touch," serves as a powerful refrain that underscores the themes of disconnection and fragmentation. The singer seems to be struggling with finding their place in the world and maintaining a sense of identity in the face of societal pressures, as seen in the lines "Tell me who you see / Not the mask upon my face / Tell me who to be." The desire to escape, to "leave without a trace," reveals a sense of desperation and hopelessness.

Overall, "Losing Touch" is a poignant reflection on the human experience of feeling lost and disconnected, and a cry for help from someone struggling to find their place in the world.

Line by Line Meaning

The world is beautiful
The planet we inhabit is a magnificent sight

And it's so big
It is vast and extensive, with too much to explore

I want to see it all
I desire to witness every corner of this world

I want to see just how big
I wish to unravel the vastness and beauty of our planet

I know you feel it too
You sense the same beauty and enormity of the world, don't you?

It's not just me?
Am I alone in my perception of the world's greatness?

Tell me you feel it too
Inform me that my sensations are not only mine

Tell me that you see
Express that you too can see the richness of the world

'Cause I think I'm losing touch
I fear to be losing my grasp on the world's beauty

Please look at me
Look directly and deeply into my eyes

Tell me who you see
Communicate whom you perceive me to be beyond the facade