David Crosby, known for prioritising artistic depth over commercial appeal, created a unique instrumental track on his 1971 album "If I Could Only Remember My Name". The song, titled "Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)", featured only a vocal melody without lyrics, as Crosby felt the music was so inherently complete that words would be superfluous. This track exemplifies his approach to songwriting, where he viewed the voice itself as an instrument capable of conveying emotion without verbal articulation.

The album was produced during a profoundly personal period following his girlfriend's death, with contributions from Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia. Crosby described the creation of the instrumental simply: "I had a melody in a tuning that I liked… I thought it was pretty. I didn't have words for it, so I decided I was just going to horn-stack it with my voice." Rather than being a limitation, the absence of lyrics allowed the composition to communicate the emotional depth of Crosby's grief and introspection, making it a compelling example of his experimental approach to rock music.