Kirk Hammett wrote the main guitar riff that became the starting point for Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
Hammett developed the riff after drawing inspiration from Soundgarden’s 1989 album Louder Than Love. His original idea was shorter and structured differently. Lars Ulrich suggested repeating the first bar three times and delaying the second bar until every fourth repetition, a change that gave the riff its instantly recognizable lurching pattern.
The instrumental parts came together quickly, but the lyrics took much longer. James Hetfield initially wrote a darker concept involving the destruction of a perfect family and references to crib death. Ulrich and producer Bob Rock felt the lyrics could be improved, so Hetfield replaced them with the familiar imagery of bedtime prayers, nightmares, and the Sandman.
The song became the first track written for the album and its lead single. That makes its creation a useful reminder that the final Metallica lineup’s songwriting process was collaborative: Hammett supplied the starting riff, Ulrich reshaped its rhythm, and Hetfield completed the vocal and lyrical identity.