Burn the Witch " is a song by the English rock band Radiohead , the lead single from their ninth studio album , '' A Moon Shaped Pool '' ( 2016 ) . It features a string section playing with guitar plectrums , producing a percussive sound . Radiohead first worked on the song during the sessions for their fourth album , '' Kid A '' ( 2000 ) , and developed it for over a decade . " Burn the Witch " was released as a download on 3 May 2016 on Radiohead 's website , followed by 7-inch single released exclusively in independent record stores . It was accompanied by a stop-motion animated music video that pays homage to the '' Trumptonshire '' series of 1960s British children 's television programmes and the 1973 horror film '' The Wicker Man '' . Critics interpreted the lyrics and video as a warning against groupthink and authoritarianism . " Burn the Witch " was named one of the best songs of the year by '' Rolling Stone , '' '' Billboard '' and the '' Village Voice '' , and was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards . It was one of the bestselling UK vinyl singles of 2016
59th Annual Grammy Awards
59th Annual Grammy Awards
Burn the Witch (Radiohead song)