Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man – Bridge
When I Was Your Man < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em/G’, ‘D7’, ‘Dm7’, ‘G’]
Chord Progression Analysis
F (‘IV’), G (‘V’), C (‘I’), G/B (‘V’), Am (‘vi’), Em/G (‘iii’), D7 (‘V7 of V’), Dm7 (‘ii7’), G (‘V’)
Similar Chord Progressions
A similar progression can be found in “Let It Be” by The Beatles, which in a key shift, has a comparable progression in its verses:
C (‘I’), G (‘V’), Am (‘vi’), F (‘IV’)
John Legend’s “All of Me” also shares a similar progression to the verse of “When I Was Your Man”:
F (‘IV’), G (‘V’), Am (‘vi’)
In both these songs, just like in “When I Was Your Man”, the progression helps to create a song with strong emotional resonance. It’s a favored choice of many singer-songwriters, allowing the melody and lyrics to take center stage.
Musical Analysis
These chords create a typical pop ballad feel mostly due to the repetition of the IV-V-I progression, which is very common in pop music. But the usage of G/B and Em/G gives the progression a bit more complexity, it creates an emotional impact due to the bass line descending stepwise from G to E.
The D7 chord is a secondary dominant, specifically the dominant of the dominant (V of V), leading us to the G chord. The D7 to Dm7 creates a switch from a major to minor tonality, adding more emotional depth. This change is often used in music to provide a feeling of tension or melancholy.
Overall Analysis
“When I Was Your Man” is a pop power ballad with a chord progression that tends to lean towards traditional pop and soul structures. It’s set in the key of C Major. However, the song has a few interesting deviations from the standard pop song structure.
Style Analysis
Bruno Mars is known for blending a variety of music styles including R&B, soul, pop, funk, and reggae. He also takes influence from older artists and songs, frequently incorporating elements of vintage or nostalgic music into his songs. “When I Was Your Man” takes cues from classic soul and pop ballads, and the emotional depth of the lyrics is matched by the chord progressions.
What are the chords in: Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man – Bridge?
[‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em/G’, ‘D7’, ‘Dm7’, ‘G’]
