“Cardigan” tells the Folklore love triangle from Betty’s perspective.
Taylor Swift designed “Cardigan,” “August,” and “Betty” as connected songs about James, Betty, and the unnamed summer-romance narrator. “August” follows the outsider whose relationship with James ends when summer does. “Cardigan” looks back from Betty’s viewpoint, while “Betty” gives James a chance to address his mistake.
The three tracks do not form a traditional sequential narrative with every detail stated directly. Instead, they use overlapping images, memories, and references, allowing listeners to reconstruct the relationships. James’s infidelity and later attempt at reconciliation connect the songs.
“Cardigan” is sometimes mistaken for the title of the entire trilogy because it was the first of the three released as a single and became one of Folklore’s best-known songs. The album’s track listing places “Cardigan” first, “August” eighth, and “Betty” fourteenth. All three songs belong to Swift’s fictional storytelling world.