WWW.AZCHORDS.COM | When I Was Your Man Chords – Bruno Mars | Version #1
[Intro]
D7 Dm7 C
D7 Dm7 C Em/B
[Verse 1]
Am C Dm
Same bed, but it feels just a little bit bigger now
G G7 C Em/B
Our song on the radio, but it don't sound the same
Am C Dm
When our friends talk about you all it does is just tear me down
G C
Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name
[Pre-Chorus]
Em/B Am Em
It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, oooh, oooh
Bb C/G
Mmm too young, too dumb to realize
[Chorus]
G F G C
That I should've bought you flowers and held your hand
F G C
Shoulda gave you all my hours when I had the chance
F G Am
Take you to every party cause all you wanted to do was dance
D7 F Fm C F C Em/B
Now my baby's dancing, but she's dancing with another man
[Verse 2]
Am C Dm
My pride, my ego, my needs and my selfish ways
G G7 C Em/B
Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life
Am C Dm
Now I'll never, never get to clean up the mess I made ooh
G C
And that haunts me every time I close my eyes
[Pre-Chorus]
Em/B Am Em
It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, oooh, oooh
Bb C/G
Mmm too young, too dumb to realize
[Chorus]
G F G C
That I should've bought you flowers and held your hand
F G C
Shoulda gave you all my hours when I had the chance
F G Am
Take you to every party cause all you wanted to do was dance
D7 F Fm C
Now my baby's dancing, but she's dancing with another man
[Bridge]
F G C G/B Am Em/G
Although it hurts I'll be the first to say that I was wrong
D7
Oh, I know I'm probably much too late
Dm7
To try and apologize for my mistakes
G
But I just want you to know
[Chorus]
F G C
I hope he buys you flowers, I hope he holds your hand
F G C
Give you all his hours when he has the chance
F G Am
Take you to every party cause I remember how much you love to dance
D7 F Fm C
Do all the things I should've done when I was your man
D7 F Fm C
Do all the things I should've done when I was your man
How to play "When I Was Your Man" on guitar
Intro: The intro is very moody and uses a minimal amount of chords.
The chords here are D7, Dm7, and C. Start with D7, then to Dm7,
and then finally to C. Here you gently downward and upward strums,
making the strumming a bit soft and reflective. Add in Em/B towards
the end of the intro, it works as a kind of fill to introduce the verse.
Verse 1: Continue in a similar style with Am, C, Dm, and G chords,
capturing the moody feel of the verse. Start out gently on the Am with
the strumming, to set the ambience for reflective lyrics. Smoothly
transition to C and on to Dm, with the strumming gentle and even.
Make the downstrokes on G and G7 just a little more pronounced to
give the verse a lift. Let the last C chord sound out and move into the
pre-chorus without causing dissonance.
Pre-Chorus: The pre-chorus texture of vulnerability uses chords
Em/B, Am, Em, Bb, and C/G. It should start with Em/B, lightly
strummed to describe the weight of the words as it opens. As you
hit the Am and Em keep a nice, gentle strumming pattern. On the Bb
and C/G change chords with more emphasized downstrokes
as it lifts a bit towards the chorus.
Chorus: The chorus brings a sad mood to the song and really gets
into the serious heaviness of the lyrics. G, F, G, C, Fm are used in the
chords. Start with a G, then F, C but a little bit of loud strumming
compared to the verse. Chorus is where your emotions will be at a peak,
so strum it deeply. On the line "Now my baby's dancing," back off your
strumming a little to emphasize the vulnerability in the lyrics.
Verse 2: This verse is still the same progression as the first, so it continues
to carry on that reflective aspect of the song. Continue on with
Am, C, Dm, G. Keep a gentle and even strumming pattern. Continue
concentrating on singing the lyrics out with the right emotion, letting the
chords blend into their background role of supporting the vocal melody.
Bridge: Where most of the emotion drips from, this bridge provides a
backdoor to regret in the song. Chords are F, G, C, G/B, Am, Em/G, D7,
and Dm7. Begin on F then navigate your way to G and C while keeping
a moderate sincere strum. In D7 and Dm7 lessen your strumming and
feel the introspective tone of the lyrics. Pile on the intensity to culminate
in the final chorus. You can do so by slightly building this section
towards the end.
Final Chorus: The final chorus is a repeat of the earlier one but with more
emotional power. Begin with F, G, C, and Fm. Strum with a mix of intensity
and tenderness for the feelings of regret and longing that are in the song.
Note that on the very last line "Do all the things I should've done," you
should strum lightly so the song kind of dies away.
Common Mistakes:
- Overstrumming: This is a relatively mellow, sentimental song, so don't
strum too hard. Keep it light and under control.
- Choppy Transitions: It's particularly important to keep transitions smooth
when changing from G to G7 or from Dm7 to C.
- Dynamics are inconsistent: Dynamics are the bedrock on which emotional
depth lies in a song. Vary the intensity of your strumming to help emphasize
what's happening in the lyrics at that time.
Songfacts: "When I Was Your Man" is a poignant ballad by Bruno Mars about
regret and lost love. Released in 2013, the song became a major hit,
showcasing Mars' vocal and songwriting talents. The lyrics apologize with
passion for not treating a former lover well, while the very simplistic piano
in the background only serves to make the raw emotion come out of the
song even further. Bruno Mars, with his dynamic style of music and voice,
sited personal experiences as the driving force behind this song—making
it one of the most heartfelt songs he has ever done.