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Bruno Mars “When I Was Your Man” Lyrics Breakdown: Has He Really Learned His Lesson?

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Posted by Nate Jones on 12/06/2012 at 2:12 PM Lyrics

The Popdust Files: between the lines, bruno mars, lyrics, unorthodox jukebox, when i was your man

Introducing “Between the Lines,” a new Popdust feature in which we geekily analyze the the lyrics of your favorite songs, line by line, and–BEST PART–you get to join in and do the very same! Propose your own interpretation, tell us why we JUST DON’T GET IT, or lead your very own conversation. And check back daily to see if your favorite new jam has been chopped up by our team of trained lyric ninjas.

For "When I Was Your Man," the third preview track from his upcoming Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars ditches the retro stylings of "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Young Girls" in favor of a spare piano sound that suits the song's mournful lyrics, as Bruno regretfully pines for the girl he drove away. But is he really older and wiser, or does he just think he is? We decided to run the song through our patented lyrics-analysis regimen, to see!

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 that it does is just tear me down
‘Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name
And it all just sounds like oh, oh, oh

Hmmm 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 is 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
And it haunts me every time I close my eyes
It all just sounds like oh, oh, oh, oh

Too young, too dumb to realize
That I should have bought you flowers and held your hand
Should have gave all my hours when I had the chance
Take you to every party cause all you wanted to do was dance
Now my baby is 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