Tim McGraw Reveals the Most Memorable Fan Reaction to His Latest Hit, 'Humble and Kind'

It was a fourth grade boy who made Tim McGraw realize that his new hit "Humble and Kind" was more than just a song – it was a message, and a necessary one at that.

It all went down in a studio while the country superstar was "working with some kids" on the song. Two of his daughters were there, too.

"This cute little curly-haired kid, fourth-grade guy, was singing the song and he came up to my daughter, Audrey, and he tugged her on the arm and said, 'I listen to this song every night before I go to bed,' " McGraw, 48, told PEOPLE. "To me, that was the best thing I could have heard."

McGraw will perform the song on Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. On Friday, after his awards show rehearsal, he spoke with PEOPLE about the song, equating it, in a way, to a tool that parents can use to help communicate with their children.

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The song, as is probably obvious from its title, speaks of being honest, polite and never taking family for granted.

"It's just one of these things that every parent wishes they could tell their kids and convey to their kids," he said. "And every kid wants to hear that, whether they know it or not.

"And, we all wanted to hear, needed to hear that and I think the world needs to hear that in a lot of ways."