What does Enter Sandman mean?

Metallica: Enter Sandman Meaning

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Album cover for Enter Sandman album cover

Song Released: 1991


Enter Sandman Lyrics

Say your prayers, little one
Don't forget, my son
To include everyone

I tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the Sandman he comes

Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light
Enter night
Take my...

  1. anonymous
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    Sep 21st 2011 !⃝

    The song is about satan (sandman) entering the life of a child (believer in god) and death "crossing to the neverland". One has to see this song in line with other songs metallica plays such as "the god that failed" "the unforgiven" to understand they are moved by a satans forces. This explains also that they able play good music since satan was a musician. Their songs in general are explaining satans feelings towards god, if you listen carefully they are all coded messages i.e. Satan is speaking through metallica to god. You may think that i am speaking rubbish but i have seen things in my life that convinved me there are things out there. Dont be fooled this band is not what u think it is. I am not saying they are evil or bad, no i dont believe they would harm anyone. But there is a spiritual connection.

  2. anonymous
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    May 30th 2011 !⃝

    There is no true meaning to this even Hetfield said so its just about some nightmare he was having and that's it

  3. anonymous
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    Feb 21st 2011 !⃝

    hmmm.... I have given this song a lot of thought....
    Here is my version. PARENTS ARE FUCKED TO CHILDREN!

    Hush little baby dont say a word and never mind that noise you heard. Its just the beast under your bead, in your closet in you're head.
    Children believe their parents right? Now in abusive homes (emotional and physical), the child is now going through a series of denial. The parents are telling him/her that nothing has happened to you, REALITY: I am going to cover it up by being a bible beater... its all in your head. They have nightmares, a way their sub conscience deals with these things they are forced to keep quiet about....SANDMAN comes and wakes them up from these demons they r keeping deep in them.
    just my version THANKS :D lol

  4. anonymous
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    May 25th 2010 !⃝

    It means when we have nightmares we are not sure if the are real or fake so we are afraid

  5. KingJazza
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    May 25th 2010 !⃝

    I believe this song is about the fear of nightmares for people, especially at younger ages. I believe that it is meant to express the fact that most nightmares are feared in general for being nightmares, not actually the specific nightmares themselves.

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 21st 2010 !⃝

    The song is based on E.T.A. Short story "The Sandman" The follows the romanticism horror story where the main character envisions the sandman coming every few nights to his home. Read the story then listen to the song with the real meaning.

  7. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2010 !⃝

    i think this song is about the ignorance of childhood, and the abcence of rational thought and how that seperates a child from an adult. the fact is if someone welcomes a man into there room while there asleep and allows them to put sand in your eyes, for an adult this is not osmething to be liked. Olbviously this song is about the ignorance of children.

  8. TifaRikuku
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    Mar 8th 2010 !⃝

    This song is about the fear of the nightmares that a child has when the child falls asleep, Exit light is the child awake or in a normal "happy dream" exit light is the nightmare which develops. Take my hand is something (not sure what) pulling him out of his nightmare.

  9. Metallicamaniac666
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    Nov 28th 2009 !⃝

    It's about Not only just James' childhood nightmares but kids' nightmares from scary stories their sick and twisted father tells them. How fear is inside your head and and none of those nightmares will ever come true.

  10. Indestructible
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    Sep 3rd 2009 !⃝

    To all the people below who interpret this as a song about the fears of a young child.....Metallica is notorious for deeper meanings they are a deeper band than most. I think it has a double meaning. A sick father who makes the child fear and then tells him his fears are unfounded and ridiculous. Its a dark song, but Metallica is good at writing those.

  11. japan4
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    Jul 2nd 2009 !⃝

    People, it's about James' childhood, and his nightmares. There's no cryptic message =D

  12. anonymous
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    May 10th 2009 !⃝

    I guess it's about how chicken are turn into Mc nuggets, taking into account that the pyramids have trees in ther interior.

    (Hint, i'm joking)
    Now seriously, if it's just about a child having nightmares it would be a shame...

    I, again, I, interpret it as some advise agains the policies of fear.

    Hush, little one, don't say a word, there's no worth, in your head there is the ghost.


    And to hel with you fanatics that think I am, I'm not taking just about religion.

  13. Iswa
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    Mar 26th 2009 !⃝

    I think that the song is about fear and that fear is ONLY in ur head.
    There are many examples:

    Hush little baby, dont say a word
    And never mind that noise you heard
    Its just the beast under your bed,
    In your closet, IN YOUR HEAD!

    Exit light (When the child is awake)
    enter night (the child's nightmare)
    (The fear says:)take my hand
    were off to never never land
    (Means that the things that will happen in ur nightmares will never never happen in real life. The nightmare is never never land).

  14. anonymous
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    Dec 24th 2008 !⃝

    "I think this song is about the killing of trees in iraq...I say this because there was tree's until the sandman (george bush) cut down all trees and now there is only sand...Also it is about murderers killing big tobacco co. Workers for selling cigarettes to minors hint 'say your prayers'"

    Dear Christ you're an idiot.

  15. anonymous
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    Sep 13th 2008 !⃝

    All pretty much right guys but there is a bit of a back story to it... the song was originally written about cot death but when it was written it was a bit of a taboo topic and unmarketable so they reworked the song to be about a child's dreams and nightmares.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway



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