Rosalie Weiss- Week 8- The Folklore Trilogy

    On Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, the songs “cardigan,” “betty,” and “august,” have come to be known as the folklore trilogy, each song offering a different perspective into the love triangle between Betty, James, and Augustine. For those unfamiliar with the story, James saw Betty dance with another boy, got jealous, and started a summer romance with Augustine, cheating on Betty. He later regretted this and went back to Betty, who forgave him, leaving Augustine all alone. 

    The song “betty” is from the perspective of James in his attempt to win Betty back, where instead of apologizing to her, he makes excuses for his behavior. James refuses to take responsibility for his actions throughout the song, constantly reminding Betty that he is only seventeen and doesn't know any better. He explains to Betty how after seeing her dance with another guy, he was just walking home thinking of her when suddenly, Augustine “pulled up like a figment of [his] worst intentions” and told him to get in her car. (lines 42-43) Here, James implies that he had no control over his behavior, deflecting the blame for his infidelity onto Augustine. He then expresses to Betty how his relationship with Augustine meant nothing to him and that while he “slept next to [Augustine],” he “dreamt of [her] all summer long.” (lines 46-47)

    In the song “cardigan” which is from the perspective of Betty, Betty’s attitude towards the relationship between James and Augustine can be seen in the lyrics “chase two girls, lose the one” and “I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired.” It is clear that Betty views herself as “the one” for James and that Augustine’s relationship with him was a short “thrill” rather than anything serious. (lines 17, 48) 

    In both songs, Augustine’s feelings are disregarded, and she is portrayed as nothing more than the villainous other woman. The song “august,” which is from the perspective of Augustine, challenges this idea, revealing how she truly had feelings for James and that their relationship meant a lot to her. This shows how James manipulated Betty and Augustine and was able to get away with it, painting Augustine as the villain when he was the actual villain.

    I love these songs and find it cool how they all relate to each other. What do you think? Do you like these songs?