James is the 17-year-old character desired by the narrator in Taylor Swift’s “august.”
In the song’s fictional narrative, James has a brief summer romance with the unnamed female narrator, but he is already connected to Betty. He eventually returns to Betty, leaving the narrator to process a relationship she hoped might become permanent.
James is also the narrator of the Folklore song “betty,” while “cardigan” presents Betty’s perspective. Together, the three songs create a linked story told at different emotional points rather than a straightforward chronological plot.
Some listeners confuse Augustine with the answer because fans and Swift have used Augusta or Augustine as informal names for the “august” narrator. Those names refer to the girl, not the boy. The male character at the center of the triangle is James.