The opening melody of Metallica’s “Don’t Tread on Me” from The Black Album uses a phrase from the musical West Side Story.
The instrumental introduction incorporates an eight-bar phrase from “America,” a song composed by Leonard Bernstein for West Side Story. Metallica’s track then places that recognizable musical idea inside a heavy-metal arrangement, creating a deliberate contrast between orchestral musical-theater writing and hard rock.
“Don’t Tread on Me” also connects to American historical imagery. Its title is the motto associated with the Gadsden flag, whose coiled-snake design appears on The Black Album’s cover. The lyrics refer to ideas of liberty, preparedness, and national symbolism.
The song was issued to rock radio as a promotional release but did not receive a commercial single release. It was first performed live by Metallica during the European leg of the band’s 2012 tour celebrating the album’s twentieth anniversary.