A follow-up to this album was expected to came out at any time but sadly composer and long-time Metallica's friend Michael Kamen died in 2003.
Enter Sandman
Metallica & The San Francisco Symphony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't forget, my son
To include everyone
Tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
'Til the sandman, he comes
Sleep with one eye open
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
Something's wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Dreams of dragon's fire
And of things that will bite, yeah
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
Now I lay me down to sleep
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake
If I die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take
I pray the Lord my soul to take
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head
Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land, yeah
Uh
Yeah, yeah
Yo, oh
We're off to never-never land
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land
"Enter Sandman" is a song that explores the fears and anxieties that children have as they go to sleep at night. The opening lines encourage "little one," presumably a child, to say their prayers before going to bed, including everyone in their thoughts. The song takes a dark turn when the "sandman" is mentioned, implying that he will bring nightmares to the child's dreams. The chorus urges the child to be vigilant, to sleep with one eye open and to grip their pillow tight, as they venture into the darkness of the night.
The second verse dives deeper into the nightmare-inducing thoughts that may plague a child's mind, from dreams of war and liars to dragons and other terrifying creatures. The song takes on a more foreboding tone, as the child is warned about the beasts that may lurk under their bed or in their closet, reinforcing the idea that perhaps the only safe place is within their own thoughts. The song ends with a continuation of the prayer from the beginning, with the hope that the Lord will protect the child's soul even if they should die.
The overall theme of the song is one of fear and anxiety about the unknown, with a focus on the fears that children may have as they go to sleep at night. Metallica is known for their heavy metal sound, and "Enter Sandman" is no exception. With its driving guitar riffs and pounding drums, the song captures the urgency of the feelings it portrays.
Line by Line Meaning
Say your prayers, little one
Begin your bedtime prayers, child
Don't forget, my son
Don't forget the people you care about while you pray, my child
To include everyone
Pray for everyone, and not just yourself
Tuck you in, warm within
I'll make sure you're comfortable and warm in bed
Keep you free from sin
I hope that your sleep will be peaceful and you'll be free from sin
'Til the sandman, he comes
Until the mythical creature known as the sandman appears, and you fall asleep
Sleep with one eye open
Be vigilant and aware, even as you sleep
Gripping your pillow tight
Hold on tightly to your pillow as if it's your only protection
Exit light
The night is ending, and the light is fading
Enter night
The darkness of night is here
Take my hand
I'll be with you through the darkness
We're off to never-never land
We're entering a place beyond our imagination and reality
Something's wrong, shut the light
There's something unsettling happening; turn off the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
Intense and worrisome thoughts are on your mind
And they aren't of Snow White
These thoughts are not of peace and happiness; they're darker
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
You're experiencing dreams of deceit and conflict
Dreams of dragon's fire
You're having dreams of dragons breathing fire
And of things that will bite, yeah
Other frightening creatures are appearing in your dreams and causing harm
Now I lay me down to sleep
I'm resting now and hoping to get some proper sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
I'm asking God to take care of me while I rest
If I die before I wake
If I don't survive until I wake up
I pray the Lord my soul to take
I trust God to take my soul to heaven
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
I'm asking you not to talk and to fall asleep
And never mind that noise you heard
Ignore any distracting sounds you might hear
It's just the beasts under your bed
Those noises are just imaginary beasts hiding under your bed
In your closet, in your head
Your imagination is creating these beasts in your mind
Grain of sand
The smallest thing can have a big impact on our lives
Uh
An interjection with no specific meaning, used for emphasis
Yeah, yeah
An expression of excitement or agreement
Yo, oh
An expression used to grab someone's attention
We're off to never-never land
We're going to this imaginary, mysterious space once again
Take my hand
Let me lead and guide you
We're off to never-never land
We're entering this same mysterious space, one more time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hetfield, Kirk L. Hammett, Lars Ulrich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ye Ye
Enter sadman-Metallica -
A) Say your prayers little one
don't forget, my son
to include everyone
B) tuck you in, warm within
keep you free from sin
till the sandman he comes
A&B) sleep with one eye open
gripping your pillow tight
C) exit light
enter night
C&A) take my hand
off to never never land
C) something's wrong, shut the light
heavy thoughts tonight
and they aren't of snow white
A&B)dreams of war, dreams of liars
dreams of dragon's fire
A) and of things that will bite
B&C) sleep with one eye open
griping your pillow tight
B) exit light
enter night
A&B) take my hand
off to never never land
(기타솔로)
B) now I lay me down to sleep
(A/ now I lay me down to sleep)
pray the lord my soul to keep
(C/ pray the lord my soul to keep)
if I die befor I wake
(A/ if I die befor I wake)
pray the lord my soul to take
(C/ pray the lord my soul to take)
A)hush little baby, don't say a word
and never mind that noise you heardd
A&C) it's just the beast under your bed,
in your closet, in your head
A)exit light
enter night
A&B) grain of sand
B) exit light
enter night
B&C) take my hand
take my hand
we're off to never never land
Waco Paco
Honestly, I think this is the pinnacle of musical collaboration. Classical music and rock music both revolutionized not only music, but society as a whole. With this collaboration, not only is it an amazing song, but it represents humanity as a whole
Marcus Ian McKenzie
hahaha "humanity as a whole"? bit of a stretch
David Crapnell
Amen to that
unapologetically me
My daddy used to play me this entire album to help me go to sleep when I was a kid ♡ the orchestra was my fav part and Metallica always made me think of him so I felt safe lol ♡
Nevets 1970
This song is incredible as originally recorded. Having an entire Orchestra playing as backup makes it sound even more incredible. Who said an orchestra wouldn’t mix with metal?
patrea lynn
isnt it amazing how sometimes rock and classical can collide well?
Tom
patrea lynn you seem to miss the fact that metal was derived from classical music :)
455eley
I believe someone did a study and found that on an intellectual and creative level people who listened to classical music and heavy metal were actually quite similar
B3AR
This must’ve been a nightmare to mix and sound check, but on this end, it’s an excellent mix! The orchestral parts come through very well, and the strings really offset the heavy distortion of the rhythm guitar parts. Sounds very nice.
Ricardo Cantillano
One of the best bands of all times and the symphonic combination its just amazing