The video homages the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man.
According to Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, who arranges the band's string sections, "Burn the Witch" was written with strings in mind.
Radiohead developed the song for over a decade, first working on it during the sessions for their fourth album, Kid A (2000).
The visual style of the video was deliberately lighter in tone than the song, as Radiohead "wanted the video to contrast with what they're playing and to wake people up a bit."
"Burn the Witch" was described by the Atlantic as an orchestral pop song and by the Guardian as an art rock song.