Christine McVie, the late Fleetwood Mac keyboardist, attributed the creation of "Songbird" to a spiritual experience rather than deliberate composition. The 1977 track from Fleetwood Mac's album Rumours became one of the band's most celebrated songs, and McVie's account of its creation emphasises the almost transcendent nature of the songwriting process.

McVie wrote "Songbird" whilst separated from her bandmates, particularly during her divorce from bassist John McVie. She recalled waking at approximately 3:30am and composing the song's words, melody and chords in roughly thirty minutes on a transistorised electric piano beside her bed. She described the experience as a "gift from the angels" and felt so spiritually moved by the process that she questioned whether it had actually happened; when she eventually presented the song to the band, they were reportedly astounded by her performance.