“Enter Sandman” was the first song Metallica wrote for The Black Album.
Kirk Hammett developed the opening guitar idea after hearing Soundgarden's 1989 album Louder Than Love. Lars Ulrich suggested a rhythmic adjustment that helped turn the initial riff into the song's distinctive repeating pattern. James Hetfield later supplied the lyrics and vocal melody.
Although the instrumental framework came together quickly, the lyrics took much longer. An early concept was darker and more disturbing, but Hetfield rewrote it after Bob Rock and Ulrich challenged him to improve the words. The finished lyric instead uses images of childhood nightmares and bedtime rituals.
An instrumental demo was recorded on August 13, 1990. “Enter Sandman” became the album's lead single, its opening track, and one of Metallica's signature songs. Its early completion also made it a creative guide for the rest of the record.