Mark: Would you like to listen to my album of American country music? It's got John Denver singing "Country Roads". Anne: Sure, I'd love to. John Denver is very popular in China. But can you tell me what the difference between country music and pop music is? Is it in the music? Or maybe in the lyrics or the way the song is sung? Mark: In a way you can they're all essential factors. In country music, many songs are about "home" and "family". Anne: So, I suppose, the words are simple and express real and honest feelings? Mark: Well, people who really like country music say so. But some people will also tell you that the words are sentimental, trite, shallow, and insincere. I guess both kinds exist, but the best country music has simple and honest feelings. Let's leave it that way. Anne: What about the style of singing, and the music itself? It's different from other American music, isn't it? Mark: In some ways, yes. The tradition was of singer with one instrument-originally a dulcimer, later a guitar. Then when radios and records become popular in the 1920's, they began using country singers commercially. Now country music is performed by highly professional groups. Anne: Oh, I see. Can we say that country music is a development of American folk music? Mark: Well, let's say it's a development from folk music. Today, it is commercial, not folk. The center of country music is Nashville, Tennessee, where many people making a living producing records, tapes, radio shows and so on. Anne: By the way, can you tell me more about John Denver? Mark: Well, he's a professional singer and songwriter. Sometimes he is more like modern folk, sometimes definitely country. Take his song "Country Roads" for example. The subject is traditional: Take me back to my home in the southern mountains...and actually country music started in the south. Let's listen to John Denver's music now.