Taylor Swift’s “cardigan” presents the love triangle from Betty’s perspective.
“cardigan,” “august,” and “betty” are linked Folklore songs that describe the same fictional teenage relationship from different viewpoints. In “august,” an unnamed girl remembers a short summer romance with James. In “cardigan,” Betty reflects on her connection with him and the pain caused by his actions.
The three-song structure was part of Swift’s broader experiment with character-based storytelling on Folklore. Rather than treating every track as a literal autobiography, she built a small fictional world with recurring names, memories, and clues.
The title is written in lowercase on the album track listing. That styling is associated with several Folklore titles, including “august” and “betty,” and should not be confused with the song’s narrative point of view.