Taylor Swift wrote “august” first among the three Folklore songs in the James-Betty-Augustine storyline.
The connected set consists of “Cardigan,” “august,” and “Betty.” Although the songs were arranged on the album in a particular track order, the writing sequence began with “august.” Swift then developed the broader fictional triangle around the characters and their differing perspectives.
The three tracks do not tell the story in a simple chronological order. “august” centers on the summer affair, “Betty” presents James’s apology, and “Cardigan” reflects Betty’s perspective. Their relationship is thematic and narrative rather than a conventional beginning-to-end plot.
The fact that “august” came first also helps explain why its narrator was initially less concretely named. Swift began with the emotional image of a sun-drenched, temporary romance, then connected that character to James and Betty as the Folklore story expanded.