Which Metallica track opens with a melody interpolated from “America” in West Side Story?

“Don’t Tread on Me” opens with a melody interpolated from “America” in West Side Story.

The song appears on Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album and takes its title from the motto associated with the Gadsden flag. The album cover also features a coiled snake derived from that flag, creating a visual and lyrical connection between the artwork and the track.

Its opening reference comes from Leonard Bernstein’s melody for “America,” a song from the 1957 musical West Side Story. Metallica does not present the entire musical number; the album track uses an introductory interpolation before moving into its own heavy-metal arrangement.

“Don’t Tread on Me” was promoted to rock radio after the album’s release, but it was not one of the record’s five commercial singles. That distinction makes it different from better-known tracks such as “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters.”