When I Was Your Man

Bruno Mars

About When I Was Your Man

"When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars for his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). Atlantic Records released the song as the third promotional single and as the second official single, taken from the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 15, 2013. "When I Was Your Man" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt. The former three produced the track under the name The Smeezingtons. The track was inspired by the time Mars was worried about losing his girlfriend, Jessica Caban. The pop song is an emotional piano ballad with lyrics describing the heartbreak and regret Mars felt from letting his lover get away, and his expressed hope that her new man will give her all the love and attention that he failed to provide. It features Mars singing and a piano accompaniment as the sole instrumentation. "When I Was Your Man" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised Mars' vocal prowess; calling it a "vulnerable and emotional ballad". The song won "Favorite Hit" at the 2013 Premios Juventud and was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. "When I Was Your Man" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and reached the top ten on the singles chart of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was certified eight times platinum in the US, as well as six times platinum in Australia and in Canada. "When I Was Your Man" was the world's eighth best-selling digital single of 2013, with sales of 8.3 million copies. 


Year:
2012
3:33
83 
#1

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Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now
Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same
When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down
'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name

It all just sounds like ooh, ooh ooh hoo hoo
Mm, too young, too dumb to realize
That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance
Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby's dancing
But she's dancing with another man

My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways
Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life
Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, oh
And it haunts me every time I close my eyes

It all just sounds like ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh
Mm, too young, too dumb to realize
That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance
Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby's dancing
But she's dancing with another man

Although it hurts
I'll be the first to say that I was wrong
Oh, I know I'm probably much too late
To try and apologize for my mistakes
But I just want you to know

I hope he buys you flowers
I hope he holds your hand
Give you all his hours
When he has the chance
Take you to every party
'Cause I remember how much you loved to dance
Do all the things I should have done
When I was your man
Do all the things I should have done
When I was your man

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Bruno Mars

Peter Gene Hernández (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. He performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. Mars produced songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons. more »

53 fans

Written by: Andrew Wyatt, Ari Levine, Peter Gene Hernandez, Philip Martin II Lawrence

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


15 facts about this song

Song Composition
"When I Was Your Man" was written by Bruno Mars along with Phillip Lawrence, Ari Levine, and Andrew Wyatt.
Album Inclusion
The song is a track from Bruno Mars's second studio album, "Unorthodox Jukebox," released in 2012.
Chart Performance
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, marking Mars's fifth number-one single.
Grammy Nominations
"When I Was Your Man" was nominated for the "Best Pop Solo Performance" category at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.
Music Video
The music video for the song was directed by Cameron Duddy and Bruno Mars himself.
Song Genre
"When I Was Your Man" is classified as a pop song with a soul influence.
Song Inspiration
Mars stated that the song was inspired by a painful personal heartbreak he had experienced.
Piano Centric
Unlike many of Bruno's songs which are upbeat, the main instrument used in this song is a piano and Bruno is seen playing during performances.
Song Meaning
The lyrics of the song express a man's regrets over breaking up with his lover.
Remarkable Achievement
"When I Was Your Man" made Bruno Mars the fastest male solo artist to achieve five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since Elvis Presley.
Unique Recording
The song was purposely recorded with a bit of a grainy, antique sound to give the sense of an old school recording.
Commercial Success
In addition to its success in the United States, "When I Was Your Man" also reached the top ten in twenty other countries worldwide.
Notable Cover Version
The song has been covered by notable artists, including the cast of the popular American television series Glee.
Emotional Performance
The song often made Mars emotional while performing it on stage, especially during his The Moonshine Jungle Tour.
Song Duration
The running time of "When I Was Your Man" is approximately 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 2013

    Billboard #1


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