Metallica's "Enter Sandman" in Relation to Freud's Theory of "The Uncanny"
The Doppelgänger of mysterious Sandman.
Pretty sure everyone has heard the name of Metallica at least once in their life. And you are probably familiar with one of their most iconic songs, Enter Sandman.
Metallica is a well-known American heavy metal band that was formed in 1981, in Los Angeles. The first members of the band were guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, and guitarist Dave Mustaine, who was sacked and later formed the band Megadeth.
Enter Sandman is one of Metallica's most iconic and commercially successful songs. It was released as the first single from their self-titled fifth album, also known as The Black Album, which was released in 1991. The song was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett. Enter Sandman became one of Metallica's most acknowledged songs as it achieved massive chart success and received popularity on radio stations and music channels.
It is important to point out that there is a deeper meaning behind the success of Enter Sandman. In this article, I will try to analyze the song concerning Sigmund Freud's theory of "The Uncanny".
The subject of nightmares and childhood anxieties are explored in the lyrics of Enter Sandman. It looks at the fears and nightmares that may resurface in a child's sleep. Likewise, Freud explores the psychological experience of what he calls "the uncanny" and delves into how certain situations, objects, or events can create a sense of discomfort and anxiety in his essay titled “The Uncanny”.
Enter Sandman's lyrics touch on the universal experience of being haunted by fears during sleep, creating an atmosphere that resonates with Freud's ideas on "The Uncanny." The song is a striking exploration of the fears that can linger from childhood into adulthood since it portrays the unpleasant parts of the subconscious. This correlates with Freud's idea of the return of the repressed, where unresolved childhood fears resurface in the adult psyche.
Say your prayers, little one
Don't forget, my son
These opening lines set the tone for a narrative that feels almost like a bedtime story turned dark and foreboding. It is almost as if the arrival of The Sandman was foreshadowed. But who is "The Sandman"?
The 1816 short story The Sandman (known as Der Sandmann in German) by E.T.A. Hoffmann is frequently discussed alongside Freud's theories regarding the uncanny. In The Sandman, the protagonist, Nathanael, is haunted by a childhood trauma related to the myth of the Sandman. When Nathanael was a child, his mother made him believe that the Sandman would come and sprinkle sand into the eyes of children who do not sleep when bedtime comes. Similarly, Metallica talks about the horrors of the night from the eyes of a child, who is associated with innocence.
Keep you free from sin
'Til the sandman, he comes
The Sandman is a central figure in both works, albeit with differences in their portrayal. In Hoffmann's story, the Sandman is an evil character associated with the loss of eyes, while Metallica's song refers to the Sandman in the context of entering dreams, or rather, nightmares. Essentially, both of these works employ the theme of guardianship over childhood traumas and fears, which forewarn the dangers that children would encounter when they become adults.
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, yeah
According to Freud's broader perspective, the uncanny frequently provokes a return of the repressed, in which uncomfortable aspects of the person's past—especially from childhood—reappear. The lyrics blur the boundaries between dream and reality, depicting an unsettling and terrifying scene. This motif is consistent with Freud's theory that the uncanny emerges when the familiar turns unfamiliar or when fantasy and reality collide.
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
In addition to references to monsters and the "Sandman," the song also makes N effective use of imagery. These images can be seen as expressions of underlying phobias and anxieties, similar to the unsettling aspects of Hoffmann's The Sandman.
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
It can be gathered from this verse that the familiar (Heimlich) becomes unfamiliar (unheimlich). Metallica tries to convince the listeners by saying it is "in your head", an image that we have created as a result of horrification. The beasts live inside of us as they are repressed and would later reveal themselves. Ultimately, everyone experiences this and it does not seem possible to escape. All we have is the power to comfort ourselves by embracing the dark side of life.