“What if?” is the major question of regret. We keep imagining what would have changed if we had behaved differently in this or that situation. But for the moment we have what we have and the only thing remaining is to face the reality the way it is. That refers to everything, but the brightest example is no doubt romantic relationships between a man and a woman. Once we lose someone we start looking at things differently and too often our eyes open for things we refused to see while the thing lasted.
Familiar situation, familiar thoughts and reflection for most of us, huh? Bruno Mars admits, too, that when righting this song he didn’t even need to concentrate much because the whole thing came from the gut so naturally that the piece was composed at once. That was another piano soul ballad as a result, a single from Bruno’s second studio album, even though the singer had said he was not going to compose any of the kind anymore.
The work was positively received both by the fans and by the music critics. “When I Was Your Man” is said to have elements from different styles and even epochs. Critics saw something from Frank Sinatra, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Billy Joel. Mars’ vocals colored the song with additional vulnerability and emotional load.
