James is the teenage boy involved with Augustine in Taylor Swift’s “august” storyline.
The song presents a summer romance from the perspective of the girl fans often call Augustine or Augusta. James is already connected to Betty, so the narrator’s relationship with him is temporary and ultimately unrequited.
This story forms one part of a three-song narrative on Folklore. “cardigan” presents Betty’s perspective, “betty” presents James’s perspective, and “august” gives the other girl’s perspective.
The character is fictional within Swift’s imagined narrative. James is sometimes confused with the unnamed narrator, but the song’s viewpoint belongs to the girl who hopes the relationship might become permanent. Swift said she imagined names such as Augusta or Augustine for that narrator, while James and Betty are explicitly named.