Don't Tread on Me (Metallica song)
Encyclopedia
"Don't Tread on Me" is a song by the American heavy metal
band Metallica
, from the eponymous fifth album, Metallica
. The title is connected with the American Revolutionary War
. The words "Don't Tread on Me" constitute the motto of the Gadsden flag
, and the snake image on the flag is pictured on the cover of the album.
The instrumental introduction uses the famous eight bar phrase from "America
", a popular song from the musical and film West Side Story. The lyrics also feature a reference to American Revolutionary Patrick Henry's
famous quote "give me liberty or give me death" with the line "liberty or death, what we so proudly hail".
Hetfield said the song was a reaction to the anti-American tone of their album ...And Justice for All
- "This is the other side of that. America is a fucking good place. I definitely think that. And that feeling came about from touring a lot. You find out what you like about certain places and you find out why you live in America, even with all the bad fucked-up shit. It's still the most happening place to hang out.
The song has never been performed live by the band. One possible reason is James Hetfield
's particular dislike for the song, as revealed in an April 2001 interview with Playboy magazine
,where Hetfield stated: "There are some songs on there I don't like. 'Don't Tread on Me', probably not one of my favorite songs musically."
The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
in the United States, despite it was released only as a promo single there.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, from the eponymous fifth album, Metallica
Metallica (album)
Metallica is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Mainly produced by Bob Rock, it was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records to critical acclaim...
. The title is connected with the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The words "Don't Tread on Me" constitute the motto of the Gadsden flag
Gadsden flag
The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the snake is the legend "DONT TREAD ON ME." The flag was designed by and is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden. It was also used by the...
, and the snake image on the flag is pictured on the cover of the album.
The instrumental introduction uses the famous eight bar phrase from "America
America (West Side Story song)
"America" is a well-known song from the musical West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein composed the music; Stephen Sondheim wrote the song's lyrics...
", a popular song from the musical and film West Side Story. The lyrics also feature a reference to American Revolutionary Patrick Henry's
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
famous quote "give me liberty or give me death" with the line "liberty or death, what we so proudly hail".
Hetfield said the song was a reaction to the anti-American tone of their album ...And Justice for All
...And Justice for All (album)
...And Justice for All is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on August 25, 1988 through Elektra Records. It is the first full-length Metallica album to feature bassist Jason Newsted following the death of Cliff Burton in 1986...
- "This is the other side of that. America is a fucking good place. I definitely think that. And that feeling came about from touring a lot. You find out what you like about certain places and you find out why you live in America, even with all the bad fucked-up shit. It's still the most happening place to hang out.
The song has never been performed live by the band. One possible reason is James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
's particular dislike for the song, as revealed in an April 2001 interview with Playboy magazine
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
,where Hetfield stated: "There are some songs on there I don't like. 'Don't Tread on Me', probably not one of my favorite songs musically."
The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
in the United States, despite it was released only as a promo single there.