The narrator of Taylor Swift’s “august” is hoping to be with James.
The song presents a brief summer romance from the viewpoint of a girl who falls for James, even though he is already connected to Betty. James eventually leaves the narrator and returns to Betty, turning the song into the unrequited-love chapter of Folklore’s central triangle.
Swift linked “august” with “Cardigan” and “Betty,” which tell related events from different viewpoints. “Cardigan” focuses on Betty, while “Betty” gives James the narrative voice. The characters are fictional creations within Folklore’s imagined story world.
A common mix-up is treating “August” as the narrator’s name. Swift said she imagined the character as Augusta or Augustine, but the song never gives her a definitive name. James, by contrast, is explicitly identified in the connected narrative.