Although John Mayer's new single is called 'Waiting On the World to Change,' he still doesn't consider himself a political songwriter.
"I'm only a lifestyle artist," he says. "I know I use the word 'war,' but I kind of feel like it's part of the vocabulary now of just being a person. War is everywhere now."
Still, Mayer admits the single — from his forthcoming album 'Continuum,' due Sept. 12 — may "rankle some": "The song doesn't offer a solution," he explains. But he says he doesn't want to be one of those artists who tell people what to think.
"I just have to be very careful with my words, because I think I know the difference between offering people an emotional observation and my opinion," Mayer says. "My opinion is worth nothing. My emotional observation is worth everything. I want to be able to keep that trust to at least get people to think. All you have to do is think — we'll talk about it later."