The issue isn't whether or not a songwriter wants their songs to be sung. I'm sure most writers are delighted when someone picks up one of their creations. The issue is about recording one of these songs and whether it's acceptable to do so without following normal copyright procedure, whether or not the writer is still alive. (Again, speaking from bitter experience, I have had at least one experience of a well-known folk performer who recorded one of my songs and never paid a penny in royalties. As far as he was concerned - and he is now long gone, btw - I should be grateful he had recorded it. He made money selling his albums, of course, but somehow paying the writer didn't occur to him and he became quite unpleasant when asked about it.)