In Taylor Swift’s “august” love triangle, the boy who leaves the narrator is James.
The song follows an unnamed girl who has a brief summer romance with James. He is already connected to Betty, and after the summer ends he returns to his former relationship with her. The narrator is left realizing that the romance was never truly hers to keep.
“august” is one part of a three-song narrative on Folklore. “Cardigan” is associated with Betty, while “Betty” is told from James’s perspective. Together, the songs show the same fictional relationship from different viewpoints.
The narrator of “august” is not given a confirmed name in the song. Swift said she imagined names such as Augusta or Augustine, but those are descriptions of the character rather than the boy’s name. James is the clearly named male character in the story.