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Burn the Witch (Radiohead song)

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"Burn the Witch"
Song

"Burn the Witch" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. Following a long recording history, it was released as a download on 3 May 2016, accompanied by a stop-motion animated music video that homages the British children's television programs Trumptonshire and the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man.

History

According to longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Radiohead worked on "Burn the Witch" during the sessions for their albums Kid A (2000), Hail to the Thief (2003) and In Rainbows (2007). The phrase "burn the witch" appears in the Hail to the Thief album artwork. The song was mentioned by singer Thom Yorke in a 2005 blog entry on Radiohead's website, and "briefly teased" in performances in 2006 and 2008, but never played in full. In 2007, Yorke posted lyrics on the band's website.[3][4]

Asked in 2013 about the status of Radiohead's unreleased songs, including "Burn the Witch", Godrich responded: "Everything will surface one day... it all exists... and so [they] will eventually get there, I'm sure."[5] He cited the song "Nude", released on Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows but written 12 years prior, as an example of a song that took several years to complete.[5]

Music and lyrics

"Burn the Witch" features a string section playing col legno, by which the players strike their strings with the stick of the bow rather than drawing the hair of the bow across the strings. According to Pitchfork, this "transforms the orchestra into another form of percussion, another beat adding to a vaguely electronic undercurrent pummelling the song forward ... [the string section] alternates between sumptuous flourishes and the darkest corners of The Shining’s score."[6] Michael Hann of the Guardian described the song as "a burst of taut, tense music, driven by pizzicato strings".[7]

The lyrics direct the listener to "abandon all reason / avoid all eye contact / do not react / shoot the messengers / burn the witch". Pitchfork interpreted them as a criticism of authority and a warning against groupthink, expressing a "deep sense of dread and skepticism".[6] The Guardian felt the lyrics might address mass surveillance or "the difficulties of open discussion in an age where thought is scrutinised and policed by the public itself on social media".[7]

Promotion and release

In April 2016, fans who had previously made orders from Radiohead received embossed cards in the mail with lyrics from the song: "Sing a song of sixpence that goes/ burn the witch/ We know where you live".[8] "Burn the Witch" was released as a download single on 3 May 2016 on the band's site and on streaming and digital media services.[9][10]

On 3 May, Radiohead released a stop-motion animated music video for the song on YouTube. The video, about a man who discovers a sinister cult in a seemingly normal community, homages the Trumptonshire Trilogy British children's television programs and the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man.[11][12] It was directed by Chris Hopewell, who previously directed the animated video for Radiohead's 2003 single "There There". According to Hopewell, the video was conceived and finished in 14 days, one week before its release.[11]

Reception

Pitchfork named "Burn the Witch" "Best New Track", with senior editor Jillian Mapes writing: "It's not since Kid A standout 'How to Disappear Completely' that Radiohead have created a song this simultaneously unsettling and gorgeous."[6] Michael Hann of The Guardian called it "thrilling... certainly the kind of return – bold and expansive, as well as dark and claustrophobic – that the world might have hoped for."[7] Larry Bartleet of NME wrote: "A Radiohead melody has rarely sounded this joyful or indulgent, which puts the disturbing lyrics into especially sharp relief".[13]

The video has amassed more than 3 million views in less than 24 hours of release.

References

  1. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (3 May 2016). "'Burn the Witch': Radiohead's Gorgeous and Scary Comeback Song". The Atlantic. Retrieved 4 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Hann, Michael. "Radiohead: Burn the Witch review – a return the world might have hoped for". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  3. ^ Yoo, Noah; Monroe, Jazz (3 May 2016). "Watch Radiohead's Video for New Song 'Burn the Witch'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. ^ Kreps, Daniel (3 May 2016). "Watch Radiohead's Sinister 'Burn the Witch' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (18 February 2013). "Thom Yorke Talks 'Amok' Leak, Photobombing in Reddit Q&A". Spin. Retrieved 3 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b c Mapes, Jillian (3 May 2016). "Reviews - Tracks: Radiohead - 'Burn the Witch'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Hann, Michael (3 May 2016). "Radiohead: 'Burn the Witch' review – a return the world might have hoped for". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Peters, Mitchell (30 April 2016). "Radiohead Fans Receive Mysterious 'Burn the Witch' Leaflets Ahead of New Album". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Burn the Witch – Single by Radiohead". iTunes US. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Radiohead – Burn the Witch – XL". Bleep. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  11. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (3 May 2016). "Radiohead Artist Stanley Donwood Shares 'Burn the Witch' Behind-the-Scenes Shots". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  12. ^ "Watch Radiohead's Sinister 'Burn the Witch' Video". Rolling Stone. 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  13. ^ Bartleet, Larry (3 May 2016). "Radiohead – 'Burn The Witch' Track Review: A Disturbingly Joyful Return". NME. Retrieved 3 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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