betty
Single | folklore (2020)
Lyrics and Composition
«[James] has lost the love of his life basically and doesn’t understand how to get it back. I think we all have these situations in our lives where we learn to really, really give a heartfelt apology for the first time. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody really messes up sometimes and this is a song that I wrote from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy. I’ve always loved that in music you can kinda slip into different identities and you can sing from other people’s perspectives. So that’s what I did on this one. I named all the characters in this story after my friends' kids… and I hope you like it!»
The Teenage Love Triangle Storyline
«I just heard Joe singing the entire fully formed chorus of ‘betty’ from another room. And I was just like, ‘Hello.’ It was a step that we would never have taken, because why would we have ever written a song together? So this was the first time we had a conversation where I came in and I was like, 'Hey, this could be really weird, and we could hate this, so because we’re in quarantine and there’s nothing else going on, could we just try to see what it’s like if we write this song together?' So he was singing the chorus of it, and I thought it sounded really good from a man’s voice, from a masculine perspective. And I really liked that it seemed to be an apology. I’ve written so many songs from a female’s perspective of wanting a male apology that we decided to make it from a teenage boy’s perspective apologizing after he loses the love of his life because he’s been foolish.»
A Return to Taylor's Country Roots
Live Performance
Critical Reception
Upon release, “betty” received widespread acclaim from music critics, who welcomed Taylor’s return to her country roots and praised the song’s storytelling and key change. The song debuted at No. 6 on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, scoring Taylor her twenty-second top-10 hit on the former. Elsewhere, the song reached the top-40 in Australia, Canada and Singapore.
“betty” received its debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry House as part of the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards on September 16, 2020; this live version was released to all music platforms the next day. It was Taylor’s last televised performance of 2020.
Commercial Performance
Upon release of folklore, “betty” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, both dated August 8, 2020. It is Taylor’s 22nd top-ten hit on the former — her first since “Soon You’ll Get Better” (2019) and her highest debut since the Tim McGraw duet “Highway Don’t Care” (2013). “betty” also arrived at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Streaming Songs chart with 14.5 million streams collected.
When it was released as a single to US country radio on August 17, 2020, “betty” debuted at No. 1 on the format’s add-board of the week, gaining support from 58 Mediabase-monitored country radio stations. Asserting Taylor “the biggest star in music” who transcends formats, the KKBQ Houston program director, Johnny Chiang, stated that country music is “lucky, because at Taylor’s core, she’s a singer-songwriter and her music has meaning. Isn’t that what country is all about? “betty” fits perfectly”.
Elsewhere, “betty” peaked at No. 22 on Australia’s ARIA Singles and Singapore’s Top 30 Digital Streaming charts, No. 32 on the Canadian Hot 100, and No. 92 on UK Downloads chart. Upon the release of its live version, the song opened at No. 58 and 88 on Scottish Singles and Irish Singles charts, respectively. Following the inauguration of the Billboard Global 200 chart seven weeks after folklore’s launch, “betty” appeared on the chart at No. 180, dated September 19, 2020.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Betty, I won’t make assumptions
About why you switched your homeroom but
I think it’s ’cause of me
Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard
When I passed your house
It’s like I couldn’t breathe
[Pre-Chorus]
You heard the rumors from Inez
You can’t believe a word she says
Most times, but this time it was true
The worst thing that I ever did
Was what I did to you
[Chorus]
But if I just showed up at your party
Would you have me?
Would you want me?
Would you tell me to go fuck myself?
Or lead me to the garden?
In the garden would you trust me
If I told you it was just a summer thing?
I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything
But I know I miss you
[Verse 2]
Betty, I know where it all went wrong
Your favorite song was playing
From the far side of the gym
I was nowhere to be found
I hate the crowds, you know that
Plus, I saw you dance with him
[Pre-Chorus]
You heard the rumors from Inez
You can’t believe a word she says
Most times, but this time it was true
The worst thing that I ever did
Was what I did to you
[Chorus]
But if I just showed up at your party
Would you have me?
Would you want me?
Would you tell me to go fuck myself?
Or lead me to the garden?
In the garden would you trust me
If I told you it was just a summer thing?
I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything
But I know I miss you
[Bridge]
I was walking home on broken cobblestones
Just thinking of you
When she pulled up like
A figment of my worst intentions
She said “James, get in, let’s drive”
Those days turned into nights
Slept next to her, but
I dreamt of you all summer long
[Verse 3]
Betty, I’m here on your doorstep
And I planned it out for weeks now
But it’s finally sinkin’ in
Betty, right now is the last time
I can dream about what happens when
You see my face again
[Pre-Chorus]
The only thing I wanna do
Is make it up to you
So I showed up at your party
Yeah, I showed up at your party
[Chorus]
Yeah, I showed up at your party
Will you have me?
Will you love me?
Will you kiss me on the porch
In front of all your stupid friends?
If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it?
Will it patch your broken wings?
I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything
But I know I miss you
[Outro]
Standing in your cardigan
Kissin’ in my car again
Stopped at a streetlight
You know I miss you
