[1] The track is centred around the sound of clinging swords, recorded during filming the music video, and was completed overnight during the singer's stay in India.
[2] The song was released as part of "Matahdatah Scroll 01 "Broader Than a Border"", which featured both "Swords", and the track "Warriors", from M.I.A.
The six-minute music video, which featured both "Swords" and "Warriors", was directed by M.I.A.
herself and premiered exclusively on Apple Music on 13 July 2015, simultaneously with the single.
The video for "Warriors" was shot in Ivory Coast in West Africa and features a Zaouli dancer.