Nightmare

Release date: September 15, 2009

About the album:
This album was recorded in early 2009 with Steven Haigler (Brand New, Pixies, Fuel) at Sawhorse Studios in Saint Louis, MO. It’s loosely based off of the movie Jacob’s Ladder.

Jon’s Fun Facts:

Several local and national musicians made guest appearances on the album, including Tim Convy and Tim Ferrell from the band Ludo (Island/Def Jam)
We gave our fans the opportunity to be personally thanked in the liner notes of the album. Were you listed? Find out here: Building Rome would like to thank…
More fun facts coming soon!

Tracklisting:

What Are We Fighting For?
Nightmare
Dr. Doctor
Sink Like An Anchor
Take Cover (Burn)
Haunting Me
Last Time Again
Orange Case
Streetlights
Tired Of Waking Up
Bring Me Home
If This Is Where It Ends…

What Are We Fighting For?

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

You must me miserable like me
Or is there something I can’t see?
Have you been waiting around to find
That you’ve already been left behind?
You’ve already been left behind.

Tell me something
What have we been fighting for?
(HEY HEY)
Baby, are you ready for war?
Take me somewhere
Take me to a better place
(HEY HEY)
‘Cause I can hardly look at your face

So you’ve been buying in, I hear
Your motivation’s based on fear
Of their lies
In your eyes

Tell me something
What have we been fighting for?
(HEY HEY)
Baby, are you ready for war?
Take me somewhere
Take me to a better place
(HEY HEY)
Oh, ’cause I can hardly look at your
I can hardly look at your
I can hardly look at your face

(La la la la la la la)
Don’t want to fight anymore
Don’t want to fight anymore
Don’t want to fight in your war

(La la la la la la la)

We will rise in their demise
Ten thousand mothers cry
We will fight with all our pride
And hold our heads up high
Tell me soldier, do you loathe them
When you make them die?
Believe in me, I’ll set you free
And fill your head with lies!

Tell me something
What have we been fighting for?
Baby, are you ready for war?
Take me somewhere
Take me to a better place
(HEY HEY)
‘Cause I can hardly look at your face

Tell me something what have we been fighting for?
(HEY HEY)
Baby, are you ready for war?
Baby, are you ready for war?
Baby, are you ready for war?!
(la la la la la la la)
So get ready
For WAR!

Nightmare

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

I’m living in a nightmare
I’m choking on my words again
It’s not fair
You took me for granted when you walked away
You walked away

And fed your ego
With every lie of my demise
It filled up
The empty space inside your head
You have no clue
Your thoughts are sold to you, well

You can’t say you gave it all you had
You can’t say you gave it your best shot
But I can

You’re a fucking asshole
With no respect for anyone
That you deem
“Less than you”
It’s so pathetic
Don’t you see
Don’t you see

That when you sell out (sell out)
All your friends to get ahead
You don’t win (don’t win)
With all the flies inside your head
You must agree
You must agree that

You can’t say you gave it all you had
You can’t say you gave it your best shot
But I can

Oh, sweet misery
The things you do to me
They’re tearing out the insides of my heart

Oh, the irony of things you say to me
They’re tearing out the insides of my heart

You can’t say you gave it all you had
You can’t say you gave it your best shot
But I can

And I’m so happy to see you go
I’m so happy to see you go
You don’t even know
I’m so happy to see you go
(You don’t want to, you don’t want to)
You don’t even know
You don’t even know

Sweet misery, the things you do to me
They’re tearing out the insides of my heart
Oh, the irony of things that you say to me
They’re tearing out the insides of my heart

I’m living in a nightmare

Dr. Doctor

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

Hey Doctor, please take pity on me
Just give me a pill, knock me off my feet
Anxiety, it’s a killing disease
It’s taken my mind and thrown it out to sea

God save me

Oh oh oh oh
She’s all I’ve ever known
Oh oh oh oh
I just can’t let it go

Dr. Doctor, I’ve been pulling out my hair
Just give me something
Just make me impaired
Dr. Doctor, I’ve been tearing at the seams
She’s in my dreams
I’m meeting her there
‘Cause oh, I’m living in a nightmare

Hey Doctor, I’m a little scared
Of hearing “no,” you know it wouldn’t be fair
To make me live another minute of this
God awful Hell of loneliness

I hate this

Oh oh oh oh
She’s all I’ve ever known
Oh oh oh oh
I just can’t let it go

And life’s just better through these hazy eyes
I could compromise, my love
‘Cause if you’d come home and just hold me close
Never let me go, I’ll stop
… Screw that!

Dr. Doctor, Dr. Doctor
Dr. Doctor, Dr. Doctor

I’ll be there, once I knock myself out
I’ll be right there, once I knock myself out
I’ll be there, once I knock myself out
I’ll be right there, once I knock myself out

I’ll be with her
And she will be with me

Sink Like An Anchor

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

I sink like an anchor, alone in the sea
When they left me for dead, I was free
I had blood on my face
And a rage I could taste
My revenge will be bitter and sweet

When I give up
I swim to the bottom and breathe
Fill my lungs
And I think of what they did to me…

Oh, I was so sick of that place
And the lines on my face told a tale that I’d love to forget
You were bitter and cold when they left me alone
With my faults and no sign of a ship

When I give up
I’ll swim to the bottom and breathe
I’m down on luck
Someday I’ll come back and you’ll see me

They’ll sell you out
And I’ll sell you out
They’ll throw you out

I’ll be haunting your dreams
Take it from me
Get the hell out now
‘Cause I’ll sell you out
I’ll bring you down to the bottom

They’ll sell you out
I’ll bring you down
I’ll burn you out

They’ll throw you over
From hell I rise and I watch as you

You sank like a stone, to the bottom, alone
Your cold eyes staring at me
You had blood on your face and a fear I could taste
My revenge will be bitter and sweet
My revenge will be bitter and sweet
My revenge will be bitter and sweet, oh

I’ll be haunting your dreams
Take it from me
Get the hell out now
‘Cause I’ll sell you out
I’ll bring you down
To the bottom with me
(‘Cause I’ll sell you out, I’ll bring you down)
The bottom with me
(‘Cause I’ll sell you out, I’ll bring you down)
The bottom with me…

I’ll burn you out
I’ll bring you down
I’ll burn you out
I’ll bring you down

Take Cover (Burn)

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

If it makes you happy
Well, I guess that’s cool
Lonely sounds on the radio
They played you for a fool

When she takes you over
It’s like a fucked up drug
You’re not the same
She’s in your head playing games
Spinning right round
Takes me right down

I’ll put a nail through my head
And scream

Take cover, run as fast as you can
That little girl’s got a gun in her hands
And she’s got eyes of fire
Eyes of fire

You burn, burn by omission of sin
She’ll put you out before you’ve taken her in
And I have no desire
No desire to burn

I guess it makes me happy
To know you’re over there
You pissed on my dreams
They tore apart at the seams
And then you played me like a fool
When you put needles in my eyes
I scream

Take cover, run as fast as you can
That little girl’s got a gun in her hands
And she’s got eyes of fire
Eyes of fire

You burn, burn by omission of sin
She’ll put you out before you’ve taken her in
And I have no desire
No desire to burn

Will we ever learn
Will we ever learn
What it takes to burn?

Take cover, run as fast as you can
That little girl’s got blood on her hands
And dreams of fire
Dreams of fire

You burn, burn by omission of sin
She’ll put you out before you’ve taken her in
And I have no desire
No desire to burn

No desire
No desire to burn
To burn

Haunting Me

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

Hey, can’t you see?
This place is haunting me to death
And you complain
The drugs, you swear they’ve got my brain
And I can’t complain
It drives me insane

You can’t believe
I’m all grown up and haven’t found a better way
To erase my every memory
Yeah, they’re haunting me

These thoughts of death invade my mind
I am running out of time
Take these dreams and make them mine

Haunting me
Haunting me

Thoughts of death invade my mind
I am running out of time
To take these dreams and make them mine (Gonna make them mine)

I smoked the sense out of my brains
‘Cause it takes away the pain
The thought that I might never be
Someone who you can believe in

Haunting me
You can believe in me
(Hey, can’t you see?)
This place is haunting me
This place is killing me

Last Time Again

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer and Ted Bruner

Let’s take a trip
I bought the ticket to get out of here
So much to say
How could we ever say it, anyway?

I’ve fallen down the stairs for you
I’m talking to the ghost
I’m waking up without you
It’s hard to understand but I know you’re trying to

Don’t give up on me
You’re all that I’ve got
I swear it’s the last time, again
I won’t let go
You know you’re all that I’ve got
I swear it’s the last time, again

I’m in a dream
And all these faces look the same to me
I make you cry
I know you’re scared but you’re still by my side

I’ve fallen down the stairs for you
I’m talking to myself
I fall asleep without you
It’s hard to understand but you know I’m trying to

Don’t give up on me
You’re all that I’ve got
I swear it’s the last time, again
I won’t let go
You know you’re all that I’ve got
I swear it’s the last time, again

So hold on
So hold on

I’m falling down the stairs for you
I’m talking to the ghost
I fall asleep without you
It’s hard to understand but I know you’re trying to

Don’t give up on me
You’re all that I’ve got
I swear it’s the last time, again
I won’t let go
You know you’re all that I’ve got
I swear it’s the last time, again
I swear it’s the last time, again
I swear it’s the last time

Orange Case

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

I’ve got a black box
Gets me through the rough days
I’ve gotta get away
I wanna fly away

I pack my suitcase
Filled with all my head games
Before I go away
I wanna hear you say
“Baby, baby… it’s okay.”

I’ve got an orange case
Helps me with my back pain
I wanna get away
I’m gonna fly away

I book an airplane
Scheduled for a rough day
But when I fly away
I wanna hear you say
“Baby, baby… it’s okay.”

But I’ve gotta come back down sometimes
Look you in the eye when I apologize
Oh oh, you know I never wanna let you go
I just got out of control when I
I took off

I’ve got a black box
To save me from a rainy day
I wanna get away
I’m gonna fly away

I pack my orange case
Takes away my head games
Before I go away
I wanna hear you say
“Baby, baby… it’s okay.”

But I gotta come back down sometimes
Look you in the eye when I apologize
Oh oh, you know I never wanna let you go, I just got out of control when I… I…

God couldn’t save me now (I’m crashing down)
God couldn’t save me now
Will you save me?

It’s okay, but I’ve gotta come back down sometimes
Look you in the eye when I apologize
Oh oh, you know I never wanna let you go
I just got out of control when I
I took off

God couldn’t save me now
‘Cause I’m in too deep, there’s no way out

I’ve got a black box
Save it for a rainy day
I’ve gotta get away
I wanna fly away

Unpack my suitcase
Sick of all my head games
Before I go away
I wanna hear you say
“Baby, baby…
Will you save me
Save me, when I take off?”

Streetlights

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer and Ted Bruner

I know exactly what you’re doing here
Your eyes are burning but they’re filled with fear
While you’re kneeling down to something
That you can believe in…

You swear the devil has brought you here
Your dirty thoughts are so crystal clear
When you’re kneeling down to something
That you can believe in
That you can believe in

I’m gonna tear you apart
Under the streetlights, baby
Fog up the glass in your car
No one will see under the streetlights, baby

The things you hear about me aren’t all true
You’ll never know how hard I’ve worked for you
While I’m kneeling down to something
That I can believe in
That I can believe in

I’m gonna tear you apart
Under the streetlights, baby
Fog up the glass in your car
No one will see under the streetlights, baby

I know exactly what you’re doing here…

I’m gonna tear you apart
Under the streetlights, baby
Fog up the glass in your car
No one will see under the streetlights, baby

Under the streetlights baby
No one will see under the streetlights, baby

Tired of Waking Up

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

I get so tired of waking up
Every night I’m pushing luck
Straight down my throat
Into my brain

I get so angry with myself
A one-track mind is a mind in Hell
Oh, take me back to the good ole days

Where I was happy, and you weren’t sad
I’d do my best to make you laugh
I would wake up, and you’d be there
With your makeup everywhere
But now, you’re gone… you’re gone

I write so much in my head
So many things I’ve never said
I wrote a letter that you’ve never read

And they locked me up for being sad
They told me, “Son, we understand.”
They didn’t understand, oh

I was so happy by myself
I never needed any help
There were dreams of fun and fame
But now I know life is just a game
And I lost my turn on you
On you
On you

I’m gonna take your pictures down
And pick myself back off the ground
Forget your face
And let you go

Happy with myself
I never needed any help
No more dreams of fun and fame
Because I know life is just a game
And I lost my turn on you
On you

I lost my turn on you

Bring Me Home

Building Rome
Lyrics: Jon Heisserer

I woke up in a dream
And you were right next to me
The angel says, “The nightmare ends, for now.”

‘Cause when we’re not apart
Our scars, they fade like shooting stars
Burning bright throughout a sky of mending hearts

I worry about everything
Every time I close my eyes
So before I fall asleep
Let’s keep the TV on tonight
‘Cause you’re afraid of the dark
And I could use the light

And on this lonely night
I’ll have to bid my love goodbye
And kiss you one last time above your eyes

I never want to let you go
But the angels let me know
My regret’s the only thing that burns in Hell

I worry about everything
Every time I close my eyes
So before I fall asleep
Let’s keep the TV on tonight
‘Cause you’re afraid of the dark
And I could use the light

The light

The angels will bring me home
The angels will bring me home

Of all the diamonds in the sky
You’re most beautiful tonight
Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you
One last time before I miss you
But this time I’ll be okay
Here’s goodbye, my love
Good night.