The narrator of Taylor Swift’s “august” is trying to run away with the fictional character James.
“august” presents the perspective of an unnamed girl involved in a brief summer romance with James. James is already connected to Betty, and the song depicts the narrator’s hope that the temporary relationship might become something permanent.
The track forms one part of a three-song narrative on Folklore. “cardigan” is told from Betty’s perspective, “betty” from James’s perspective, and “august” from the unnamed girl’s perspective. Together, the songs show the same emotional triangle from different viewpoints.
Listeners sometimes call the narrator Augustine or Augusta because Swift described those names as possibilities in her imagination. Neither is the narrator’s established name in the song. James is the clearly identified person at the center of her summer romance.