During a half-hour chat on stage in front of a lucky group of Google employees, he talked about his music, life and career. Topics included his recent experience playing with the Rolling Stones, what it means to sing his hit songs night after night, shooting his "Southern Comfort Zone" video on the fly in multiple countries, why he's such a prankster, and the ideas behind his latest single "I Can't Change the World."

He also talked about the value of using technology and social media, including YouTube (which Google owns), and how he balances a busy work life with family time ("you are your balance"). And claiming he wasn't just saying so because that's where he was at the time, he admitted that his favorite state to play is California.

The interview kicked off on the topic of the Rolling Stones (Paisley recently was a guest during one of their North American tour stops). Paisley said that having country artists guest with the Stones (Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban also made appearances) made perfect sense, as the legendary group "actually has a very heavy country base" in their sound. "They were a great country band when they wanted to be on certain songs."

And being a guitarist doesn't hurt matters either, as it creates a natural "common language" between himself and other musicians. It also serves him well during his own live shows. "My sound man always accuses me of singing to get to the next solo," Paisley explained. "Because truthfully, when you've sung a song a million times�there are only so many ways you can sing the verse, before people leave and think you've lost your mind. 'He's changing the melody too much.'"

Solos, he said, allows for "moments" of "free expression during every show. "At heart, my band and I are a bit of a jam band."

Asked about why he thinks his popularity resonates so strongly with audiences around the world, has a quick answer: "It's always songs." As he went on to explain, "the minute you start to think it's you and not the songs you're singing, is the minute you're about to pee in a bucket backstage in a kitchen � or get arrested speeding going through your subdivision � because you're starting to think you're larger than life. And truthfully it's always about songs."