hor rid ". ▁The ▁song ▁also ▁features ▁electronic ▁per cussion . ▁ ▁The ▁lyr ics ▁direct ▁the ▁listener ▁to ▁" ab andon ▁all ▁reason ▁/ ▁avoid ▁all ▁eye ▁contact ▁/ ▁do ▁not ▁react ▁/ ▁shoot ▁the ▁mess engers ▁/ ▁burn ▁the ▁w itch ". ▁Y or ke ▁said ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁News ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁newspaper ▁publishing ▁the ▁names ▁and ▁addresses ▁of ▁sex ▁off enders ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Video ▁ ▁The ▁" B urn ▁the ▁W itch " ▁music ▁video ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁Chris ▁Hope well , ▁who ▁previously ▁directed ▁the ▁animated ▁video ▁for ▁Radio head ' s ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁single ▁" There ▁There ". ▁It ▁uses ▁stop - m otion ▁animation ▁in ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁Tr um pt ons hire ▁tr il ogy , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁English ▁children ' s ▁television ▁program mes . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁son - in - law ▁of ▁Tr um pt ons hire ▁cre ator ▁Gordon ▁Murray , ▁the ▁family ▁was ▁not ▁asked ▁permission ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁style ▁and ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" t arn ishing ▁of ▁the ▁brand ". ▁The ▁video ▁was ▁conce ived ▁and ▁finished ▁in ▁ 1 4 ▁days ▁and ▁released ▁on ▁YouTube ▁one ▁week ▁later ▁on ▁ 3 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁hom ages ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁horror ▁film ▁The ▁W icker ▁Man ▁and ▁dep ict s ▁mob ▁rule ▁in ▁a ▁rural ▁community