Who composed the melody from “America” that Metallica's “Don't Tread on Me” interpolates?
Answer
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein composed the melody from “America” that Metallica's “Don't Tread on Me” interpolates.
“America” comes from West Side Story, the musical created by Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Metallica used the recognizable melody in the opening motif of “Don't Tread on Me,” creating a musical connection between their heavy-metal track and a major twentieth-century stage work.
This is an interpolation rather than a claim that Bernstein wrote Metallica's song. “Don't Tread on Me” is credited to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, while the borrowed musical idea originates in Bernstein's composition.
The detail can be confused with the song's title and imagery, which draw on American political and patriotic themes. The question concerns the composer of the interpolated “America” melody, not the Metallica songwriters or West Side Story's lyricist.