"When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). Atlantic Records released the song as the third promotional single and as the second official single, taken from the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 15, 2013. "When I Was Your Man" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt. The former three produced the track under the name the Smeezingtons. The track was inspired by the time Mars was worried about losing his girlfriend, Jessica Caban.

Peter Gene Hernandez, known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. Mars is accompanied by his band, the Hooligans, who play a variety of instruments, such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, drums, and horns, and also serve as backup singers and disco dancers. In 2021, he collaborated with Anderson .Paak, as the American musical superduo Silk Sonic.