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august

folklore (2020)

“august” fittingly is track eight on Taylor’s eighth studio album, folklore (2020). It forms the second installment of the album’s narrative arc known as the “Teenage Love Triangle,” a trilogy of songs that depict a summer romance from three distinct perspectives. “august” is voiced by the character Augustine—the girl with whom James had a summer fling, ultimately betraying Betty. Through wistful vocals and dreamy production, the song captures the fleeting nature of seasonal love and the ache of unreciprocated longing.

Background and Recording

When lockdown struck in March 2020, Taylor happened to be in Los Angeles and found herself quarantining in her Beverly Hills mansion. She hadn’t set out to make an album. But the creative process began just two days into isolation—driven partly by instinct, and partly by a deep need to escape reality. Collaborating remotely with her longtime creative partner Jack Antonoff and The National’s Aaron Dessner, she wrote and recorded what would become one of the most unexpected and defining works of her career: folklore.

In a December 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Taylor revealed that the aftermath of the sale of her master recordings in June 2019 left her emotionally devastated, and she found herself increasingly affected by stories of divorce and broken trust. Around this time, before the onset of the Covid-19 lockdown, she co-wrote “august” with Jack. The song, she explained, touches on the theme of betrayal and the emotional ambiguity of undefined relationships. “It kind of explores the idea of the undefined relationship. How do you mourn the loss of something once it ends, if you’re being made to believe that it never happened at all?”

Lyrical Theme

Alongside the tracks “cardigan” and “betty“, “august” forms part of a fictional love triangle crafted by Taylor for folklore. The story follows three teenage characters—Betty, James, as well as an unnamed girl—and is told from each of their perspectives across the songs. “august” takes on the voice of the unnamed girl, expressing the bittersweet sorrow of a summer romance that ends in heartbreak when James returns to his former love, Betty.

In her concert documentary folklore: the long pond studio sessions, Taylor revealed that she personally refers to this narrator as “Augustine” or “Augusta.” She also shared that “august” was the first of the three songs she wrote in the triangle, and that its origin began with a single phrase she had saved in her phone years prior: “Meet me behind the mall.” She had long envisioned incorporating that line into a song.

The song was inspired by what Taylor described as the image of “the sun-drenched month of August, sipped away like a bottle of wine.” That sentiment shapes the song’s nostalgic tone and lyrical landscape, which is saturated with imagery of late summer—salt air, roadtrips, fleeting moments of intimacy. Set in a suburban town, “august” captures the emotional vulnerability of a teenage girl navigating unrequited love during her summer break and the temporary magic of a romance never fully defined:

«In my head, I’ve been calling the girl from ‘august’ either Augusta or Augustine. What happened in my head was: ‘cardigan’ is Betty’s perspective from 20 or 30 years later, looking back on this love that was this tumultuous thing. I think Betty and James ended up together. So in my head, she ends up with him but he really put her through it. ‘august’ was obviously about the girl that James had this summer with. She seems like she’s a bad girl but really she’s not. She’s a really sensitive person who fell for him and she was trying to seem cool and like she didn’t care because that’s what girls have to do. And she was trying to let him think that she didn’t care, but she did, and she thought they had something very real. And then he goes back to Betty. So, the idea that there is some bad, villain girl in any type of situation who ‘takes your man’ is a total myth because that’s not usually the case at all. Everybody has feelings and wants to be seen and loved. And Augustine…that’s all she wanted.»

Taylor Swift

As the summer romance unfolds, Augustine is portrayed as someone who sacrifices her own plans and boundaries in the hope of fleeting connection. She recalls, “canceled my plans just in case you’d call,” highlighting her unreciprocated investment in the relationship. Though she senses that a real relationship with James is unlikely, she clings to the illusion, telling herself it is “enough to live for the hope of it all.”

When the new school year starts, the relationship fades as quickly as it began. James ultimately returns to Betty, leaving Augustine to mourn what, for her, felt like genuine love. She is left with only the memory of a love that was never fully hers.

Production

While folklore is primarily characterized by its subdued, indie folk sound, “august” leans more toward a pop-oriented production, standing out as one of the brighter, more melodic moments on the record. Jack Antonoff has described it as one of his “favorite things [they’ve] done together.” For the track, he first crafted the instrumental and sent it to Taylor, who, according to him, wrote the lyrics “on the spot—it just was an intuitive thing.” Aaron Dessner, who co-produced the album, also praised the track, noting:

«This is maybe the closest thing to a pop song. It gets loud. It has this shimmering summer haze to it. It’s kind of like coming out of 'seven,' where you have this image of her in the swing and she’s seven years old, and then in 'august,' I think it feels like fast-forwarding to now. That’s an interesting contrast. I think it’s just a breezy, sort of intoxicating feeling.»

Aaron Dessner

Live Performances

Taylor first performed “august” in her 2020 concert film and documentary, folklore: the long pond studio sessions, accompanied by collaborators Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. The stripped-down performance offered an intimate look at the creative chemistry behind the song.

On March 14, 2021, Taylor brought “august” to the stage at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, performing it as part of a medley with “cardigan” and “willow,” the lead single from her ninth studio album, evermore (2020). The performance marked the trio’s television debut as a unit, with both Jack and Aaron joining her on stage.

During her record-breaking “The Eras Tour” (2023–2024), “august” became a staple in the setlist, featured prominently in the folklore segment. On February 17, 2024, during the second night of her Melbourne shows, Taylor performed the track twice in a single evening as part of the tour’s first-ever triple mashup—blending “august” with “Getaway Car” (2018) and “The Other Side of the Door” (2009).

Critical Reception

“august” received widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed at both its production and Taylor’s lyrical craftsmanship. Critics highlighted the song’s third-person perspective—a stylistic shift from her signature confessional songwriting—as a testament to her evolution as a storyteller. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone named “august” one of the standout tracks on folklore, describing it as “the album’s most plainly beautiful ballad.” Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club and Caleb Campbell of Under the Radar also identified the song as one of the album’s strongest offerings, both drawing comparisons between its shimmering production and the work of Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins.

“august” appeared on several year-end best-of lists, including Rolling Stone (No. 5), the Chicago Tribune (unranked), Yahoo! (unranked), and Complex, where Edwin Ortiz ranked it second on his 2020 roundup. In Vulture’s comprehensive ranking of Taylor’s discography, Craig Jenkins praised the track for its emotional resonance, writing, “Even in fiction, Swift’s ability to capture the wistful ache of nostalgia remains unmatched.” Sheffield further cemented its legacy by naming it one of the five greatest songs of Taylor’s career, adding: “‘august’ feels like such a simple tune, yet it’s one of the craftiest creations in the Swiftian Multiverse.”

Commercial Performance

In the United States, “august” debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated August 8, 2020, following the release of folklore. It remained on the Hot 100 for two weeks. The song also debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, where it charted for 20 weeks. Internationally, “august” reached the Top 20 in several countries, peaking at No. 11 in Malaysia, 12 in Singapore, 13 in Australia, and 16 in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote “august”?

“august” was written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.

What is the lyrical theme of “august”?

Narrated by the unnamed girl in the Teenage Love Triangle, “august” captures the bittersweet sorrow of a summer romance that ends in heartbreak when James returns to Betty. Taylor visualized the character as someone who feels overlooked yet deeply longing for connection.

How did “august” perform on the charts, and what accolades did it receive?

Though not released as an official single, “august” charted internationally, reaching the Top 40 in several countries. Critics praised it for its emotional depth and storytelling maturity, and its bridge was ranked No. 3 on Time’s list of the best song bridges of all time.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Salt air
And the rust on your door
I never needed anything more
Whispers
Of, “Are you sure?”
“Never have I ever before”

[Chorus]
But I can see us
Lost in the memory
August slipped away
Into a moment in time
Cause it was never mine
And I can see us
Twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away
Like a bottle of wine
Cause you were never mine

[Verse 2]
Your back
Beneath the sun
Wishing I could write my name on it
Will you call when you’re back at school?
I remember thinking I had you

[Bridge 1]
Back when we were still changing for the better
Wanting was enough
For me it was enough
To live for the hope of it all
Cancel plans just in case you’d call
And say “meet me behind the mall”
So much for summer love, and saying “us”
Cause you weren’t mine to lose
You weren’t mine to lose
No

[Post Chorus]
Cause you were never mine
Never mine
Do you remember?

[Bridge 2]
Remember when I pulled up
And said “get in the car”
And then canceled my plans just in case you’d call
Back when I was living for the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
“Meet me behind the mall”
(Remember when I pulled up)
(And said “get in the car”)
(And then canceled my plans just in case you’d call)
(Back when I was living for the hope of it all)
(For the hope of it all)
(“Meet me behind the mall”)

[Outro]
Remember when I pulled up
And said “get in the car”
And then canceled my plans just in case you’d call
Back when I was living for the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
For the hope of it all