Following on from the John Prine point made there....
Jez Lowe wrote (and sings) 'The Burgen' - written from the perspective of a female that's lost her sailor lad at sea.
Similar viewpoint in Duncan McFarlane's 'Mary Read' - the words are her thoughts as she waits to be hanged for Piracy.
These songs suffer nothing when sung by a male, perhaps even have an extra poignancy for all that.