‘Enter Sandman’ is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist and guitarist Hetfield wrote the lyrics, which deal with the concept of a child's nightmares.
The single reached number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and achieved platinum certification for more than 1,000,000 copies shipped in the United States, spurring sales of over 30 million copies for Metallica and propelling Metallica to worldwide popularity. Acclaimed by critics, the song is featured in all of Metallica's live albums and DVDs released after 1991 and has been played live at award ceremonies and benefit concerts.
‘Enter Sandman’ was the first song Metallica had written for their 1991 self-titled album. Metallica's songwriting at that time was done mainly by rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, after they gathered tapes of song ideas and concepts from the other members of the band, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted. Ulrich's house in Berkeley, California, was used for this purpose. ‘Enter Sandman’ evolved from a guitar riff that Hammett wrote, after being inspired by Soundgarden's 1989 album Louder Than Love.
Speaking with Uncut in 2007 about the lyrics, Hetfield said: "I wanted more of the mental thing where this kid gets manipulated by what adults say. And you know when you wake up with that s--t in your eye? That's supposedly been put in there by the sandman to make you dream. So the guy in the song tells this little kid that and he kinda freaks. He can't sleep after that and it works the opposite way. Instead of a soothing thing, the table's turned."
The single was released on July 29, 1991, two weeks before the release of Metallica. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and nine other countries, and sold over 22 million copies worldwide, allowing ‘Enter Sandman’ to become, as Chris True describes it, "one of the most recognizable songs of all time in rock". The single peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. On September 30, 1991, it became Metallica's second single to achieve gold status in the United States, for shipping more than 500,000 copies. In August 2021, the song re-entered the German Singles Chart at No. 1 after a CD single was re-issued whose profit is set to be donated for charity benefitting the German survivors of the 2021 European floods. In addition to the nominations received by the album as a whole, the song was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 34th Grammy Awards in 1992, ultimately losing to "The Soul Cages" by Sting. It was also voted Song of the Year in Metal Edge's 1991 Readers Choice Awards.
‘Enter Sandman’ has received many accolades. Rolling Stone magazine listed it as the 408th song on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list and 30th on their March 2023 "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list. VH1 placed it 22nd in their list of the "40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time", 18th in their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" and 88th in their 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Songs from the Past 25 Years".
Label – Elektra
Songwriters – Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
Producers – Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
SONG LYRICS
[Instrumental Intro]
[Verse 1]
Say your prayers, little one, don't forget, my son
To include everyone
I tuck you in, warm within, keep you free from sin
'Til the Sandman, he comes
[Pre-Chorus]
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
[Chorus]
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
[Verse 2]
Something's wrong, shut the light, heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war, dreams of liars, dreams of dragons' fire
And of things that will bite, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
[Chorus]
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
Yeah-hah
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge]
Now, I lay me down to sleep (Now, I lay me down to sleep)
Pray the Lord my soul to keep (Pray the Lord my soul to keep)
If I die before I wake (If I die before I wake)
Pray the Lord my soul to take (Pray the Lord my soul to take)
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head
[Chorus]
Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land (Yeah, haha haha)
[Outro]
Oh, yeah-yeah, yo-oh
We're off to never-never land
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
We're off to never-never land
We're off to never-never land
We're off to never-never land