It was suppose to read, "Songs are suppose to express the writer's feelings."
As for Bob Dylan, he is definitely a good lryicists, but his singing is terrible!
Though he is good with lryics and music, I wouldn't say he was the best of his generation. Look at those that Dylan seeked out for help. Woody Guthrie for one.
True one can write fiction and non-fiction. A writer doesn't have to comit a murder to write about it, but they do have to do an awful lot of research and talk to a lot of people before they write a compelling story.
You may not have to see a person murdered to write about it, but I think you at least need experience the loss of a love one to be able to write about the suffering and pain. You cannot write a compelling story or song about the emptiness and sorrow and the slow recovery without losing someone anymore than you can tell about love without ever being in love.
Anyway, that's my opinion.
