Clark Jr. recorded the track, as well as most of the This Land album, with a Gibson SG electric guitar plugged into a César Díaz amplifier and a Marshall speaker cabinet.
[5] Clark Jr., who previously chose to stay away from making overtly political music, used the works of Guthrie, Big Bill Broonzy, and Lead Belly as inspiration for "This Land".
Writing for Pitchfork, Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the way that Clark Jr. was able to "[channel] his anger over this casual racism into a dose of fury so controlled, its origin becomes obscured", but mentioned that the track "isn't necessarily a harbinger for the rest of" the album.
Directed by Savanah Leaf, the video was filmed on Clark Jr.'s Texas property and depicts a young boy surrounded by symbols of American racism, such as the Confederate battle flag.
[10] On February 16, 2019, Clark Jr. performed "This Land" and "Pearl Cadillac" when he starred as the weekly musical guest on Saturday Night Live.