<P> `` When I Was Your Man '' was written by Andrew Wyatt , Bruno Mars , Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine , while production was handled by the latter three production - team The Smeezingtons . Having chord progressions Am - C - Dm - G - G7 - C ( verse ) and F-G-C ( chorus ) , the song is written in the key of C Major , with Mars ' vocals range from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5 . 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 do n'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 ; remaining a couple as of 2014 . 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 ! '' </P>
<P> `` When I Was Your Man '' was written by Andrew Wyatt , Bruno Mars , Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine , while production was handled by the latter three production - team The Smeezingtons . Having chord progressions Am - C - Dm - G - G7 - C ( verse ) and F-G-C ( chorus ) , the song is written in the key of C Major , with Mars ' vocals range from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5 . 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 do n'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 ; remaining a couple as of 2014 . 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 ! '' </P>
who was when i was your man written for
who was when i was your man written for
Jessica Caban
Jessica Caban