Don't Tread on Me (Metallica song)

"Don't Tread on Me"
Song

Don't Tread On Me is the 6th song from Metallica's self-entitled album Metallica. The song could be interpreted as a patriotic song, as it is connected with the American Revolutionary War. The meaning of the song and the lyrics could also be interpreted in the exact opposite way. In that aspect it could be a condemnation of blind patriotism, or criticism of the aggressive foreign policies of the U.S (also shown with the lines "to secure peace is to prepare for war", and "Never surrenders, showing the fangs of rage" talking about how America wont back down). The lyrics are probably connected close with the Gulf War, because the song has been written during the time of the war. The rhythmic timing played by the guitars, bass and drums gives the song a somewhat "militaristic" sound.

In the intro, Metallica plays tunes of a song from the musical "Westside Story" called "I Like To Be In America"[[1]].

The lyrics also feature a quote of Patrick Henry. In 1776, when the Americans signed the United States Declaration of Independence and officially declared war on England, Patrick Henry's words were "give me liberty or give me death" which can be found in the lyrics as "liberty or death".

The song has never been performed live by the band. One possible reason is James Hetfield's particular hatred for this song, along with "Through the Never", as revealed in the April 2001 interview with Playboy magazine [[2]].