The song tackles the subject of parental relationships and their effects on the family unit, as the singer's own parents divorced when she was 5. "I like to think of 'Piece By Piece' as the happy ending to 'Because Of You'," says Clarkson. "It's not the happiest story in the beginning, but it's a real one that I decided to write after a conversation with my sister.

"So many of us had to grow up without parents to model a healthy relationship for us, so we often get into dysfunctional relationships because it is what is familiar. We end up settling instead of being with someone who is worthy of our hearts and our time. We all deserve to feel worthy of love. We all deserve to be truly loved.

"This song is basically my past, present, and future. It's my love letter celebrating and thanking my husband for being a man that knows how to love me and our children without expecting anything in return. Also, this is a promise to my kids that I will never cease to love them, and be present in their lives always."