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When I Was Your Man
"When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from 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 song is a piano ballad in which the singer reflects on how his selfishness and arrogance resulted in him losing his girlfriend, and expresses hope that her new partner will offer her the love and devotion he failed to provide. "When I Was Your Man" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised Mars's vocal prowess. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top ten on the singles chart of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was certified eleven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), diamond by Music Canada (MC), as well as seven times platinum by the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). "When I Was Your Man" was the world's eighth best-selling digital single of 2013, with sales of 8.3 million copies.
Cameron Duddy and Mars directed the accompanying music video. It portrays Mars as a "lonely balladeer" in sunglasses, sitting at a piano with a half-full glass of whiskey atop it. Critics resoundingly complimented the simplicity of the video. The song has been covered by artists, including Mike Ward, who released a studio version of the song after he performed it on The Voice UK. Ward's cover peaked at number 60 in the UK Singles Chart. "When I Was Your Man" was also added to the soundtrack of the Brazilian soap opera Amor à Vida. Mars has performed the song on all his tours since 2013. The song won "Favorite Hit" at the 2013 Premios Juventud and was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
While working on the album, Bruno Mars said: "I'm never singing another ballad again," but that came from the gut – it's the most honest, real thing I've ever sung". "When there are no safe bets, that's when I feel my blood move." He also shared how important the lyrics to this song are for him when he posted a photograph of Unorthodox Jukebox's artwork via his Twitter account. "Soon you guys will hear a song I wrote called When I Was Your Man. I've never been this nervous. Can't explain it". Philip Lawrence explained the inspiration of the song: "I think Bruno and I are both huge fans of older music, like Billy Joel and Elton John. We always loved those moments where you can sit at the piano and emote. Those intimate moments when an artist is so naked and vulnerable; you can't help but be drawn to it. We always wanted to find a stripped down song like that, which is how that song came to be. The subject matter was real life; Bruno had experienced that, so we tried to say it in the best and catchiest way we could."
"When I Was Your Man" was written by Mars, Lawrence, Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt, while production was handled by the former three production-team, the Smeezingtons. Mars played the piano, while the recording was done by Levine at Levcon Studios in Los Angeles, California. Charles Moniz was responsible for providing additional engineering to the recording. It was mixed at Larrabee Sound Studios in Hollywood by Manny Marroquin. It was mastered by David Kutch at The Mastering Place.
"When I Was Your Man" is written in the key of C major. Mars's vocals range from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5 with chord progressions Am–C–Dm–G–G7–C (verse) and F–G–C (chorus). The pop piano ballad finds Mars singing about a pre-fame heartbreak as he regrets letting his woman get away. It starts with a rolling piano riff; unto a nearly scat "vocal cadence": "Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now / Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same", as he laments the "single state" he created for himself. Next, he sings of his failings; to do right by his woman, "I shoulda bought you flowers / And held your hand / Shoulda gave you all my hours / When I had the chance". Its title phrase re-emerges in the final chorus, juxtaposed by Bruno from all the things he "shoulda" done, into things he hopes his ex's new man will do; concluding: "Do all of the things I should have done / When I was your man". In an interview to Rolling Stone, Mars revealed, while reluctant, that he wrote the song for his girlfriend, model Jessica Caban, when he was worried about losing her. In contrast with the song, Mars and Caban stayed together. Mars also said, in the interview, that he finds it difficult to perform the song; saying: "You're bringing up all these old emotions again," and that: "It's just like bleeding!"
For Andrew Unterberger of Pop Dust, the song "starts out dangerously close to 'Drops of Jupiter' territory, but luckily, there are no fried chicken or soy latte lyrics to be found here." He also noted that "'When I Was Your Man' goes minimal with the musical accompaniment, featuring just Bruno and his piano, sounding halfway between an Alicia Keys ballad and Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"." Andy Gill of The Independent called it a "McCartney-esque piano ballad." Melinda Newman of HitFix thought that the song "sounds like a cross between Stevie Wonder and Elton John," also seeing "a touch of Michael Jackson" in his delivery. Sam Lansky of Idolator agreed, writing that "while evoking Elton John, the track sounds like it was recorded live in a piano bar, with audible background noise, like the spooling of film on a projector." Robert Copsey of Digital Spy said that Mars lists everything he should have done for the one he loved before she broke up with him. Maura Johnston from Rolling Stone finds Mars's "pouring his heart out with enough passion to wonder if he's hoping to turn back the clock via pure emotionalism." The lyrics find Mars regretful of not giving attention to his ex, as he "should have bought her" flowers and treated her better, as he reflects on their past relationship wishing for her new man to treat her better.
"When I Was Your Man" was released as the third and final promotional single taken from Unorthodox Jukebox, on December 3, 2012. Later, it was reported by Mars that "Young Girls" was scheduled to be the second single from the album. However, a week later, while performing "When I Was Your Man" on a TV show, he announced that it would be the second official single from the album. To confirm the news, Mediabase also published that the song will be soon released to radio stations.
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When I Was Your Man
"When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from 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 song is a piano ballad in which the singer reflects on how his selfishness and arrogance resulted in him losing his girlfriend, and expresses hope that her new partner will offer her the love and devotion he failed to provide. "When I Was Your Man" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised Mars's vocal prowess. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top ten on the singles chart of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was certified eleven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), diamond by Music Canada (MC), as well as seven times platinum by the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). "When I Was Your Man" was the world's eighth best-selling digital single of 2013, with sales of 8.3 million copies.
Cameron Duddy and Mars directed the accompanying music video. It portrays Mars as a "lonely balladeer" in sunglasses, sitting at a piano with a half-full glass of whiskey atop it. Critics resoundingly complimented the simplicity of the video. The song has been covered by artists, including Mike Ward, who released a studio version of the song after he performed it on The Voice UK. Ward's cover peaked at number 60 in the UK Singles Chart. "When I Was Your Man" was also added to the soundtrack of the Brazilian soap opera Amor à Vida. Mars has performed the song on all his tours since 2013. The song won "Favorite Hit" at the 2013 Premios Juventud and was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
While working on the album, Bruno Mars said: "I'm never singing another ballad again," but that came from the gut – it's the most honest, real thing I've ever sung". "When there are no safe bets, that's when I feel my blood move." He also shared how important the lyrics to this song are for him when he posted a photograph of Unorthodox Jukebox's artwork via his Twitter account. "Soon you guys will hear a song I wrote called When I Was Your Man. I've never been this nervous. Can't explain it". Philip Lawrence explained the inspiration of the song: "I think Bruno and I are both huge fans of older music, like Billy Joel and Elton John. We always loved those moments where you can sit at the piano and emote. Those intimate moments when an artist is so naked and vulnerable; you can't help but be drawn to it. We always wanted to find a stripped down song like that, which is how that song came to be. The subject matter was real life; Bruno had experienced that, so we tried to say it in the best and catchiest way we could."
"When I Was Your Man" was written by Mars, Lawrence, Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt, while production was handled by the former three production-team, the Smeezingtons. Mars played the piano, while the recording was done by Levine at Levcon Studios in Los Angeles, California. Charles Moniz was responsible for providing additional engineering to the recording. It was mixed at Larrabee Sound Studios in Hollywood by Manny Marroquin. It was mastered by David Kutch at The Mastering Place.
"When I Was Your Man" is written in the key of C major. Mars's vocals range from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5 with chord progressions Am–C–Dm–G–G7–C (verse) and F–G–C (chorus). The pop piano ballad finds Mars singing about a pre-fame heartbreak as he regrets letting his woman get away. It starts with a rolling piano riff; unto a nearly scat "vocal cadence": "Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now / Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same", as he laments the "single state" he created for himself. Next, he sings of his failings; to do right by his woman, "I shoulda bought you flowers / And held your hand / Shoulda gave you all my hours / When I had the chance". Its title phrase re-emerges in the final chorus, juxtaposed by Bruno from all the things he "shoulda" done, into things he hopes his ex's new man will do; concluding: "Do all of the things I should have done / When I was your man". In an interview to Rolling Stone, Mars revealed, while reluctant, that he wrote the song for his girlfriend, model Jessica Caban, when he was worried about losing her. In contrast with the song, Mars and Caban stayed together. Mars also said, in the interview, that he finds it difficult to perform the song; saying: "You're bringing up all these old emotions again," and that: "It's just like bleeding!"
For Andrew Unterberger of Pop Dust, the song "starts out dangerously close to 'Drops of Jupiter' territory, but luckily, there are no fried chicken or soy latte lyrics to be found here." He also noted that "'When I Was Your Man' goes minimal with the musical accompaniment, featuring just Bruno and his piano, sounding halfway between an Alicia Keys ballad and Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"." Andy Gill of The Independent called it a "McCartney-esque piano ballad." Melinda Newman of HitFix thought that the song "sounds like a cross between Stevie Wonder and Elton John," also seeing "a touch of Michael Jackson" in his delivery. Sam Lansky of Idolator agreed, writing that "while evoking Elton John, the track sounds like it was recorded live in a piano bar, with audible background noise, like the spooling of film on a projector." Robert Copsey of Digital Spy said that Mars lists everything he should have done for the one he loved before she broke up with him. Maura Johnston from Rolling Stone finds Mars's "pouring his heart out with enough passion to wonder if he's hoping to turn back the clock via pure emotionalism." The lyrics find Mars regretful of not giving attention to his ex, as he "should have bought her" flowers and treated her better, as he reflects on their past relationship wishing for her new man to treat her better.
"When I Was Your Man" was released as the third and final promotional single taken from Unorthodox Jukebox, on December 3, 2012. Later, it was reported by Mars that "Young Girls" was scheduled to be the second single from the album. However, a week later, while performing "When I Was Your Man" on a TV show, he announced that it would be the second official single from the album. To confirm the news, Mediabase also published that the song will be soon released to radio stations.