"I am an unfortunate lady, my sorrows they are great
My tongue is scarcely able my misfortunes to relate"

can be changed to

"It is of an unfortunate lady, her sorrows they are great
She says "My tongue is scarcely able...."

and continue from there; so that the male singer becomes the narrator of what the lady says.

I have never seen, or met, any objection to such a procedure. Seems simple common-sense to me.

≈M≈