“Enter Sandman” Lyrics & Meaning (Metallica)

Enter Sandman is Metallica’s most famous song.

It was more mainstream than anything from their previous albums and marked a change in direction for the band.

As such, the song appealed to a much wider audience.

And many of them have had questions about the Enter Sandman lyrics meaning.

While it is not exactly cryptic, not everyone got what James Hetfield was singing about.

So let’s clear up any confusion. Keep reading to learn exactly what this song is about. It’s probably exactly what you think it is.

 

Enter Sandman Lyrics And Meaning

Metallica released Enter Sandman in 1991. It is one of the band’s most iconic songs, and it symbolized a shift in their musical direction.

The song was the first track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, which is often referred to as The Black Album. Their fifth album was significant. because the band collaborated with producer Bob Rock. He encouraged Metallica to adopt a different approach to recording and said they should play together in the studio rather than separately.

There was an instrumental version of Enter Sandman, which was recorded in 1990 and then production of the song extended into 1991.

Metallica’s frontman, James Hetfield, described the song as featuring a wall of guitars, because three rhythm tracks of the same riff were layered to create a denser sound than usual.

Drummer Lars Ulrich took 50 takes to record the drum parts of the song, in order to fully capture the intensity that Metallica wanted from the track. The final track was a composite of these recorded takes.

This rigorous process showed just how important the song was to Metallica’s evolving style, especially with Bob Rock bringing more prominence to the bass guitar in the mix.

The darkness of this song is reflected in the music video, which won the 1992 MTV Video Music Award for Best Hard Rock Video. It shows a child’s nightmares as the child encounters the Sandman.

The music video shows a child dreaming of common nightmares such as drowning, falling from a building, being covered in snakes, being chased, and falling from a mountain.

Enter Sandman was seen as a departure from Metallica’s earlier works, like the previous album …And Justice for All. The structure and composition were built around the main riff of the song, written by Kirk Hammett. He managed to achieve a powerful and sinister tone, which was then enhanced by his guitar solo later on in the song.

The single reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 and earned a platinum certification in the U.S.

The song has been used in many different ways. For example, NASA used it as a way to wake up space shuttle astronauts. It has also been used by sports players when making their entrance to the crowd.

On a show, Ulrich once stated that he wasn’t happy with some of the ways the song was being used. He said, “It all seems so bizarre and so strange that Metallica’s music, which generally sort of facilitates bringing people together is used in these bizarre circumstances. It’s certainly not something we in any way advocate or condone.”

 

Enter Sandman Lyrics

 

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

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)

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

 

Enter Sandman Meaning

The lyrics of Enter Sandman talk  about fears and nightmares. The song is about a sandman who was a folklore singer known for bringing sleep.

The lyrics touch on the fears that a person may have, especially since those fears become more pronounced in the darkness right before we are about to fall asleep. The lines of the song are also recited in a bedtime prayer format, which helps to add a haunting element to the song.

In fact, the bridge of the song includes an actual prayer that people often recite before going to bed. This is the original prayer, which is very close to the lyrics in the song:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my Soul to keep;
If I should die before I ‘wake,
I pray the Lord my Soul to take.

This part of the song continues:

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!

These words are made even more sinister by the nature of Hetfield’s signature growl, which is sure to scare anyone!

And that’s really all there is to say about the lyrics and their meaning. As mentioned above, they are not exactly cryptic and I think most people have an idea of what they mean. They simply might wonder if that is all there is to the lyrics.

And yes, that’s all there is. There does not seem to be any intended hidden meaning here. However, I say “intended”, because as with any song, you can read into it whatever meaning you like. So perhaps, this song speaks to you in a completely different way.

And that’s fine. In fact, that is the beautify of music. Well, good music, anyway.

 

Enter Sandman Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Did you already guess what the Enter Sandman lyrics meaning was? Or did you truly have no idea before reading this? Either way, you are not alone.

And I hope this article helped clear some things up and perhaps gave you a new appreciation for this all-time great song. That said, if this song, and perhaps a few others from the same album, are all you know of the band Metallica, you might want to check out their two previous albums.

They are Master of Puppets from 1986 and …And Justice for All  from 1988. Both are excellent and while they are quite different in sound than The Black Album (far less ‘produced’, for lack of a better word), I’m sure you will find a number of songs on each you enjoy. And if you do, check out Ride The Lightning after that.

We also have another article like this one discussing the lyrics to Nothing Else Matters, which is from the same album as Enter Sandman. If you are curious what that song is about, check out the article.

Enter Sandman has a fairly recognizable bass line. For  a song with one of the most recognizable basslines ever (though it is actually played on a guitar), check out our discussion of the Seven Nation Army lyrics and their meaning.