“Enter Sandman” opened Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album.
The track also served as the album’s lead single and became one of Metallica’s signature songs. Its music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich, while Hetfield wrote the lyrics. The subject is childhood nightmares, using the Sandman figure from folklore and popular culture.
The song was unusual in the band’s history because it was the first album composition written for the record but the last to receive its lyrics. Hammett brought the central guitar idea, and the band developed it into the concise, heavy arrangement that became the album’s entry point.
The single was released on July 29, 1991, shortly before the album. Its video, directed by Wayne Isham, premiered on July 30 and won Best Hard Rock Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.