Is "mystical, elusive" etc. an excuse for poor songwriting?

[The Juggler]

I've read a good few articles, that complimented Stevie's lyrics for being extremely mystical, elusive, fairy-like etc. and sometimes I think this whole hippy fairy goddess folk image is really used to describe sub par writing.

Now I'm not saying Stevie is poor exactly, I think it's just since the mid 80s her way of writing has become very formulaic and tried. Some of the lyrics make no sense at all and sound like she just wrote whatever was in her head and recorded that.

I suppose being able to think of these lines and combine them to make a song is a talent as well, but I think a lot of the time these lines aren't great. Lindsey said she takes out a typewriter bashes away tons of lyrics and files them away till she needs them and I can imagine that.

I was listening to Everybody Loves You today and the lyrics are awful. I think if that was written in the 70s she may have gotten away with it but now it just sounds awful. A lot of artists seem to lose their talent after a point. Has this happened to Stevie, I think so.

(And before you say "why don't you write something better then" I do write.