Which Metallica song begins with an instrumental phrase from West Side Story on The Black Album?
Answer
Don't Tread on Me
Don't Tread on Me begins with an instrumental phrase from West Side Story on The Black Album.
The song's introduction interpolates an eight-bar phrase from America, a well-known number composed by Leonard Bernstein for the musical West Side Story. The reference is brief but distinctive, giving the track an unusual connection to musical theater.
The song's title refers to the motto of the Gadsden flag, whose rattlesnake image also appears on The Black Album's cover. Its lyrics use imagery connected with American history, liberty, and military readiness.
Don't Tread on Me was sent to rock radio after the album's release, but it was not issued as one of the album's five commercial singles. The song was not performed live by Metallica until the European Black Album Tour in 2012.