Don't Tread on Me is the song on Metallica's 1991 album with an intro interpolating Leonard Bernstein's "America" from West Side Story.
The brief musical reference appears at the beginning of the track, creating a striking contrast between the familiar theatrical melody and Metallica's heavy arrangement. The song's title alludes to the Gadsden flag and its famous snake-and-motto imagery, while its lyrics address patriotism and national identity.
Don't Tread on Me appears as the sixth track on the standard album. It was sent to rock radio after the record's release but was not issued as a commercial single in the same way as Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Wherever I May Roam, and Sad but True.
The song is sometimes overlooked because the album's best-known tracks became major radio and concert staples. Its opening reference, however, is one of the clearest examples of an outside composition being incorporated into The Black Album's track list.