Christina Aguilera has admitted that she almost lost the lyrics to her new song.

The singer wrote the track on a napkin while she was dining at Los Angeles' Osteria Mozza Italian restaurant after she couldn't find any paper.

But when she and her husband Jordan Bratman finished eating, the waiter took their plates away and she didn't notice he had also cleared the napkin away.

A source said: "Christina wasn't looking when the busboy took the inked-up napkin. When she realised it was missing she ran after him."

Luckily, the 28-year-old star caught up with the waiter before the napkin could be thrown away.

The source added to National Enquirer magazine: "Christina explained to the waiter what had happened and she found the napkin on top of a plate, unharmed."

Christina's fourth studio album 'Light and Darkness' is set to be released later this year.