James Hetfield had issues with Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’
Given that most of us have been subjected to many replays of Metallica‘s metal megahit ‘Enter Sandman’ at this point, it’s difficult to deny its monumental impact. Not only did the band create what would become a genre-defining song, but it also proved that emphatic metal could be simple while still holding onto its powerful edge.
As the opening track to the band’s celebrated 1991 self-titled album, also known as The Black Album, ‘Enter Sandman’ achieved a seemingly impossible feat: It thrust an inherently metal song into the mainstream due to its accessible structure and endearingly dark, lullaby-esque lyrics. The simple riff driving the piece forward, coupled with its catchy melody, are two of the main reasons why the song became as popular as it did, but it’s important not to ignore the impact of the nightmarish lyrics, too.
Following a considerably long and climactic intro, the song draws you in right from the first lyric as vocalist James Hetfield leaves no room for deliberation. “Say your prayers, little one / Don’t forget, my son / To include everyone,” he sings, his signature energetic growl permeating throughout as he reaches the legendary chorus: “Exit light / Take my hand / We’re off to never-never land!”
Although explaining all of the reasons why the song is indisputably great would likely take a while, it’s interesting to consider that it almost didn’t make it onto the album at all had Lars Ulrich not been there to contribute his passion. In his view, the piece was a winner, one that had enough legs to take the world by storm. For Hetfield, this fact needed a little more convincing.
“I didn’t think ‘Enter Sandman’ was such a great song,” he explained in 2023 during an episode of Metallica’s Masterclass video series. In fact, he was so unsure of the piece and its potential that he felt more than happy to let it go and disappear into the shadows, but Ulrich and producer Bob Rock convinced him to revisit it and alter some of the lyrics.
“I think Lars Ulrich and Bob Rock said, ‘Go back. I challenge you to go back,'” he explained.
Continuing: “And I did, and that line, that catch-phrase, ‘Off to never, neverland,’ [came out]. What happens in our sleep? Why do we have nightmares? A lot of people could identify with that. Everyone has nightmares. What do you do with them? Why do they show up?”
Without the others having urged him to pick the piece up again, it’s unclear whether the album might have landed with the impact that it did. Of course, the album has many other Metallica-defining songs, like ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘The Unforgiven’, ‘Wherever I May Roam’, and others, but let’s face it: when we think of The Black Album, ‘Enter Sandman’ almost always immediately comes to mind first.
