AES12 Folklore Trilogy Love Triangle

So I’ve been obsessed with the album folklore by Taylor Swift. And in one of Taylor’s interviews, she explains that in folklore there are 3 songs that explain a love triangle from 3 different points of view. Those 3 songs are august, betty, and cardigan. 

So the back story is about James and Betty, they’re dating but James cheated on Betty with Agustustine. But James realized that he is still in love with Betty and he wants to get back together with Betty. August explains the point of view of Augustine, Betty about James’s point of view, and Cardigan is the point of view of Betty in the future. I will be explaining how these songs connect based on their lyric. 

Cardigan “high heels on cobblestones” 

Betty “ I was walking on broken cobblestones, just thinking of you” 

By this, I assume that Betty and James lived in the same area that has a lot of cobblestones. In the song betty, James was 17 so it just makes sense if James and Betty met at high school that’s why they live in the same area.

Cardigan “Chase two girls, lose the one” 

Betty “Slept next to her, but I dreamt about you all summer” 

August “You weren’t mine to lose” 

In cardigan, Betty is trying to tell us that James cheated and the one that James lost was Betty. But James said that he slept next to Augustine, but he dreamt of Betty all summer. Even tho James was sleeping next to what he claimed to be his summer love, he cant get Betty off his mind. And eventually, Augustine actually has real feelings for James, but she realized that James wasn’t hers to even lose, you can’t lose something that you don’t own. 

Cardigan “ I knew you’d miss me once the thrill expired and you’d be standing in my front porch light and I knew you’d come back to me” 

Betty “Yeah I showed up at your party. Will you have me? Will you love me? Will, you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends” 

In this scenario, Betty was having a party but she didn’t invite James after their “breakup” But James came anyway. They both mention the porch, so I assume they did meet at the porch. Where ever that porch is, logically there where Betty’s party is. 

August “So much for summer love and saying ‘us’ ‘cause you weren’t mine to lose”

Betty “ In the garden would you trust me if I told you it was just a summer thing” 

Both James and Augustine admit, that their relationship was just a summer thing. For James, it was a summer thing, but Augustine felt more than that. But she has to accept the reality that James doesn’t feel the same way. I really feel bad for Augustine, I mean James should just reject her in the first place so she would put so much hope into James, that in the end he was ever hers. 

August “Remember when I pulled up and said ‘get on the car’"

Betty “ I was just thinkin’ about ya when she pulled up like a pigment of my worst intentions. She said ‘James get in, lets drive’ "

This is the part that convinced me that these songs connect, both of them said that Agustine pulled up in her car to James. 

Betty “The worst thing that I ever did, was what I did to you” “The one thing I want to do is make it up to you” 

James knew what he did wrong, and this felt like he really felt bad, it’s like he’s full of regret. James really shows how he really wants Betty back, he wants to make it up to her. 

Cardigan “I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite” 

I felt like an old cardigan under someone’s bed, it’s like Im something that you owned but you forgot. Then when you found me you put me on and said I was your favorite. When you lost something and it went under your bed for some time it’s most likely something that you don’t value. James basically let Betty down, and suddenly now he’s saying that she’s his favorite. It doesn’t make sense, if that’s your favorite cardigan why would it be under your bed in the first place? 

Cardigan “Peter losing Wendy” 

Im a big peter pan fan so I know what this means. Peter is James, Wendy is Augustine, and Betty is Tinkerbell. All this time Tinker was the one for Peter, but after Wendy came he forgot about Tinker. But as soon as Wendy left, that’s when Peter knew that actually, Tinker is the one that was always there, but Tinker is clearly disappointed. 

The question is, did Betty and James got back together? I don’t know, this Peter and Wendy thing makes me think that Betty forgives James. But Im not sure that they will get back together, regardless of what reasoning James has but he cheated on Betty. And I still don’t know why James cheated on Betty, it’s clearly his issue. Even if he has some conflict with Betty, cheating on her is a very unmatured solution. But they were 17, teenagers. 

I love talking about this, and I admire how Taylor put all of this together. So we know the story from all of their point of view. Such a masterpiece. 

picture: folklore album cover ( https://id.pinterest.com/pin/313844667791000326/)