Image credits: Pinterest
Have you ever wondered whether Taylor Swift's songs are written about true events or fiction? While most are about her own life, she admits that many songs in folklore and evermore are fictional.
Three songs in particular from her folklore album are about the same fictional story: "august," "betty," and "cardigan."
These songs are about a love triangle between James, Betty and who fans call "Augustine." Each song is written from a different character's perspective about James cheating on Betty with Augustine in high school.
Something fun to note is James, Betty, and Inez—who told Betty what James had done— are all Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold's children's names. Taylor Swift has been good friends with Blake and Ryan for years now, and says their kids view her as their aunt.
Let's look into what we know about each of Taylor's fictional characters:
Betty
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"Cardigan" is written from Betty's perspective. She originally dated James, but over the summer realized that he was cheating on her with another girl. Betty is a studious girl, who is wise and tries hard in school. "Cardigan" starts with Betty's realization of the affair:
"Vintage tee, brand new
phone
High heels on cobblestones
When you are young, they
Assume you know nothing
-
Sequin smile, black lipstick
Sensual politics
When you are young, they
assume you know nothing."
The girl described in this song isn't Betty, it's the other girl whom James had an affair with.
Betty repeats the same phrase twice, saying "When you are young, they assume you know nothing." She's claiming that everyone overlooks teenagers and their pain. James said he never thought Betty would find out, and everyone told Betty she was too young to be so heartbroken.
But right after saying "they assume you know nothing," she counters with saying "but I knew you." She knew James, and the two of them were close. She said that he "drew stars around my scars," and when she felt like an old, forgotten cardigan, "you put me on and said I was your favorite." James was good, and they were in love.
But, she warns him:
"A friend to all is a friend to
none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When they are young, they
assume you know nothin'"
This time, Betty is alluding to the fact that James was given a pass by onlookers, who would say James didn't know any better because he was so young.
And it's exactly James' mindset of being young that is why he loses Betty.
"I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losing Wendy"
In Peter Pan, Peter refused to grow up and mature while Wendy grew and became a better person. James wanted the ending to change and, like Peter, hoped his girlfriend would stay the same.
"Cause I knew everything
when I was young"
Betty grew up and realized that it was growing up that caused her to doubt what she once knew. She lost more and more of her knowledge as she matured, because she realized that the world wasn't black and white.
Even after what James did to her,
"I knew you'd haunt all of my
what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
…
I knew I'd curse you for the
longest time
Chasin' shadows in the
grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once
the thrill expired
And you'd be standin' in my
front porch light"
James
Image Credits: Pinterest
"The worst thing that I ever did
Was what I did to you
But if I just showed up at your
party
Would you have me?
Would you want me?
...
Will you love me?
Will you kiss me on the porch
In front of all your stupid
friends?
If you kiss me, will it be just
like I dreamed it?
Will it patch your broken
wings?"
In "Betty," which is a song for Betty with James' perspective, James talks of his realization of what he did. He showed up at her front porch, like Betty predicted in Cardigan, and begged her to take him back.
Taylor Swift clearly said that James is the true villain in this story, not the other girl. If you pay attention throughout the song, James never once apologizes to Betty as he begs her to love him again. When he asks her to kiss him and forgive him, he even adds the reminder that he feels her friends are stupid.
While James never apologized, he also never took responsibility for what he did. He said:
"I'm only 17, I don't know
anything
But I know I miss you
Standing in your cardigan
Kissin' in my car again"
James, in his refusal to grow up and mature, continues to know nothing. While Betty is forced to mature quickly and realize how much she once knew, and how much she can no longer know because of James' betrayal.
Here is James' excuse for what happened: "Betty, I know where it all went
wrong
Your favorite song was
playing
From the far side of the gym
I was nowhere to be found
I hate the crowds, you know
that
Plus, I saw you dance with him"
Remember Betty singing about the high heels on cobblestones? That's how James and Augustine met, and here is his version of what happened:
"I was walking home on broken cobblestones
Just thinking of you when she
pulled up like
A figment of my worst
intentions
She said "James, get in, let's drive"
Those days turned into nights
Slept next to her, but
I dreamt of you all summer
long"
James blames Augustine for taking charge in their affair, and never adds himself to his actions. For example, when he says "those days turned into nights" rather than saying he "slept next to her."
He also said he never loved Augustine, which she could feel.
Augustine
Image credits: Pinterest
"August slipped away into a
moment in time
'Cause it was never mine
…
August sipped away like a
bottle of wine
'Cause you were never mine
...
Will you call when you're back
at school?
I remember thinkin' I had you
But I can see us lost in the
memory"
The other women tells a heartbreaking story of loving completely and not receiving love in return. She realized that James would leave her as soon as summer was over, so August was a bittersweet season.
While Augustine had an affair with James, she did love him.
"Back when we were still
changin' for the better
Wanting was enough
For me, it was enough
To live for the hope of it all
Cancel plans just in case you'd call
…
You weren't mine to lose"
Adding this song to the fictional universe Taylor created showed more depth to the story. Each character is personified as human, with flaws and raw feelings as they speak of heartbreak at such a young age.
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