“Enter Sandman” was the first song written for Metallica’s The Black Album but the last to receive its lyrics.
The song began with a guitar riff by Kirk Hammett, which James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich developed into the album’s opening track. A demo was recorded on August 13, 1990, along with demos of “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Wherever I May Roam.”
Although the music came together early, the lyrics took longer because producer Bob Rock challenged Hetfield to write more personal and focused words. The final lyrics use childhood fears and the image of the Sandman to create an unsettling lullaby-like theme.
This fact is easy to mix up with the song’s release history. “Enter Sandman” was also the album’s lead single, but those are separate milestones: it was first in the writing process while becoming the record’s commercial introduction later. The song ultimately opened the album and became one of Metallica’s signature tracks.