Which Metallica song includes an intro melody interpolated from “America” in West Side Story?
Answer
Don't Tread on Me
“Don’t Tread on Me” is the Metallica song whose intro melody is interpolated from “America” in West Side Story.
The song appears on Metallica’s 1991 album Metallica and is built around a forceful, compact riff and lyrics referring to the Gadsden flag’s snake imagery. Its opening uses a melody associated with “America,” which Leonard Bernstein composed for the musical West Side Story.
The interpolation is a musical quotation rather than a full cover version of the Broadway song. Metallica uses the recognizable melodic idea briefly before moving into its own arrangement. This detail is easy to miss because the track quickly becomes a guitar-driven heavy-metal song.
“Don’t Tread on Me” was also unusual in the album campaign. Although it was sent to rock radio shortly after release, it was not issued as a commercial single. The album’s official singles included “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.”