“Enter Sandman” was the first song written for Metallica's The Black Album and the last to receive its lyrics.
The song originated from a guitar riff by Kirk Hammett, which James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich developed into the album's opening track. Its writing marked an important early step in the record's more concise and accessible musical direction.
Although the music came together early, the lyrics were completed later than those for the other songs. The finished subject matter centers on nightmares and childhood fears, helping give the track its dreamlike but unsettling identity.
“Enter Sandman” became the album's lead single and one of Metallica's signature songs. It is sometimes mistaken for the first song recorded, but the documented fact concerns songwriting order, not the order of studio performances.