“Don’t Tread on Me” opens with an interpolation of Leonard Bernstein’s “America” from West Side Story.
The borrowed melody appears in the song’s introduction before the track moves into Metallica’s heavy guitar-driven arrangement. Bernstein composed “America” for the musical West Side Story, which was created with lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright Arthur Laurents.
The Metallica track takes its title from the historic “Don’t Tread on Me” motto associated with the Gadsden flag. Its lyrics and imagery focus on national symbols, military strength, and a desire to avoid unnecessary conflict while warning against threats.
The song is part of the standard twelve-track album but was not one of the five commercial singles. It was issued to rock radio after the album’s release, a distinction that separates it from the tracks chosen for the main single campaign.