Metallica Is An American Heavy Metal Band. The Band Was Formed In 1981 In Los Angeles By Vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield And Drummer Lars Ulrich And Has Been Based In San Francisco For Most Of Its Career. The Band's Fast Tempos Instrumentals And Aggressive Musicianship Made Them One Of The Founding "big Four" Bands Of Thrash Metal Alongside Megadeth Anthrax And Slayer. Metallica's Current Lineup Comprises Founding Members And Primary Songwriters Hetfield And Ulrich Longtime Lead Guitarist Kirk Hammett And Bassist Robert Trujillo. Read More On Last.Fm
"Don't Tread On Me" Is The Sixth Song From Metallica's Self-Titled Album Released In 1991. The Title Is Connected With The American Revolutionary War. The Words "Don't Tread On Me" Constitute 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." The Song Reached #21 On The Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks In The United States Despite Never Being Released As A Single There.