AVC: Is there a difference between writing a country song and writing a rock or pop song?
DW: There are massive similarities from genre to genre. In country, though, you can write a song about having kids and you can write a song about having parents; those are two things that are not allowed in most pop songs. A real pop star is not allowed to talk about their kids or their parents, much less their grandparents, whereas in country you can talk about your grandparents, you can talk about your parents, you can talk about your job, you can talk about your dad’s job. In country, there’s a lot more subject matter essential to human life. It’s funny because there are more things people shy away from in pop, but in country, you can write about anything.
via the A.V. Club.