"Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, featured as the opening track and lead single from their eponymous 1991 album Metallica. The song was produced by Bob Rock, and the music was written by Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and James Hetfield. Vocalist and guitarist Hetfield wrote the lyrics, which deal with nightmares.
The song achieved gold certification for more than 500,000 copies shipped in the United States, in part due to the fact that the album in which it is featured sold over 15 million copies and helped propel Metallica to worldwide popularity. Acclaimed by critics, the song is featured in all of Metallica's live albums and DVDs released after 1991 and has been played live at award ceremonies and benefit concerts.
