Songfacts®:

• In this song Christina Aguilera recalls how her wedding day brought an unanticipated moment of sadness when she realized that she didn't have a father to walk her down the aisle. Christina's parents divorced when she was 8 years old after years of alleged physical and emotional abuse.
• Christina Aguilera recalled her wedding day in an interview with USA Weekend magazine August 6, 2006: "I figured I'd just walk myself down the aisle, but I never realized how nervous you get when the big day comes. When it came time to walk down the aisle, I was shaking, and I realized how amazing it would've felt to have a man holding my arm to give me away to this next man in my life. That was the first time I felt or maybe ever needed a father figure. But it made me who I am. And, at the end of 'The Right Man,' I say, 'One day, my little girl will reach out her hand, she'll know I found the right man.'"
• Back to Basics featured 20s, 30s and 40s-style jazz and blues with a modern twist. Old-school music was a refuge for Aguilera during her difficult early years. She explained to The Daily Telegraph May 7, 2010. "Soul and blues spoke to me at an age where many would think I was too young to appreciate it. Six years old and I was listening to Billie Holiday as if it was the world to me. I related to blues and soul because I never had a safe haven growing up. It was a very chaotic environment for me to grow up in."