Enter Sandman
Pat Boone Lyrics


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Say your prayers little one
Don't forget, my son
To include everyone
Tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the sandman he comes
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight

Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
Off to never-never land

Somethings 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
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight

Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
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
Never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head

Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night
Take my hand
Off to never-never land

Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit, light
Enter, night




Take my hand
Off to never-never land

Overall Meaning

Pat Boone’s song, Enter Sandman, can be interpreted as a lullaby of ominous warnings to a little boy. The song begins by telling the child to pray before bedtime and to ask God's intercession for all living beings. The child is then tucked in and prayed for, so he may be kept from all evil till the sleep takes him away.


However, the lyrics take a dark turn as the child is encouraged to sleep with one eye open and grip his pillow tight. The lyrics suggest that the child's sleep will be disturbed by visions of heavy thoughts, evil liars, and dragons’ fire. The child is warned that beasts are hiding under his bed, in his closet, and in his head. The song ends with an invitation to enter the world of ‘never-never land,’ a term that likely refers to some dark world of the present, past, or future.


The song's lyrics are ambiguous and leave much to the listener’s interpretation. The verses are packed with metaphors that depict the boy's anxieties and insecurities as he is being readied for bed. Some possible interpretations suggest that the song is a tribute to the monstrous sounds of heavy metal and rock.


Line by Line Meaning

Say your prayers little one
Start praying, child


Don't forget, my son
Remember, kid


To include everyone
Pray for everyone


Tuck you in, warm within
Make you comfortable in bed


Keep you free from sin
Protect you from doing wrong


Till the sandman he comes
Until you fall asleep


Sleep with one eye open
Be alert even while sleeping


Gripping your pillow tight
Hold your pillow tightly


Exit, light
Leave the light behind


Enter, night
Enter the darkness


Take my hand
Hold my hand


Off to never-never land
Away to a mystical world


Somethings wrong, shut the light
Something isn't right, turn off the light


Heavy thoughts tonight
Feeling troubled today


And they aren't of Snow White
Thoughts aren't about fairy tales


Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Having nightmares of war and deception


Dreams of dragon's fire
Dreaming of a dragon's breath


And of things that will bite
Thinking about things that might harm


Now I lay me down to sleep
Going to bed now


I pray the Lord my soul to keep
Asking God to protect the soul


If I die before I wake
In case I pass away while I'm sleeping


I pray the lord my soul to take
Asking God to take the soul


Hush little baby, don't say a word
Don't speak, baby


Never mind that noise you heard
Ignore any sounds you heard


It's just the beasts under your bed
The noise is just imaginary monsters


In your closet, in your head
Or you're thinking about scary thoughts




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hetfield, Kirk L. Hammett, Lars Ulrich

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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