First version of "Ride On" I heard was the recording by Mary Coughlan. I remember finding the "claw along my gut" line quite striking and powerful and thinking "there's a gutsy woman".

In general, mauvepink, I've long felt that it's easier for my female vocalist to sing, say, "The Star of the County Down" without engendering confusion than it would be for me to sing a love song about a male (...but maybe that's just me) and that therefore women singers actually have a vaster choice of repertoire.

My $0.02.