Which Metallica album track interpolates Leonard Bernstein's melody from West Side Story?
Answer
Don't Tread on Me
"Don't Tread on Me" is the Metallica album track that interpolates Leonard Bernstein's melody from West Side Story.
The song appears as the seventh track on Metallica's 1991 album. Its opening uses a brief version of the melody associated with "America," which Bernstein composed for the musical West Side Story. The quotation is an interpolation rather than a full cover of the musical number.
The song's title refers to the Gadsden flag motto, and its lyrics present a defiant patriotic theme. That subject matter distinguishes it from several other tracks on the album, which address nightmares, mortality, personal distance, and spiritual doubt.
"Don't Tread on Me" was also unusual in the album's release campaign. It was sent to rock radio after the album came out, but it was not released as a commercial single. The album's five official singles were different songs.