the story begins with betty and james in a happy relationship, as told by betty in cardigan. these experiences together are referenced by james at the end of betty
while james is walking home, jealous and upset, the unnamed girl pulls up next to him in her car and tells him to get in. this is told from both perspectives in betty and august. betty also references this moment in cardigan
they have a summer fling, despite the fact that james is still dating betty. james canāt stop thinking about betty, and the girl knows that his heart will never belong to her. the story of the affair is told in august.
next is betty, which takes place after summer ends and james and the girlās brief affair is over. rumors spread about jamesā infidelity and betty finds out the truth. she briefly references the girlās seduction of james and the ensuing affair in the first verse of cardigan
betty breaks up with james. in cardigan, she describes the feelings of hurt and betrayal she experienced after finding out about his cheating
james is heartbroken and wracked with guilt. he wants nothing more than to apologize to betty and have her take him back
betty hasnāt been able to stop thinking about james this whole time. she knows that sheās the one he truly loves and that he will always come back to her.
betty felt like āan old cardigan under someoneās bedā bc james cast her aside by cheating on her, but now that heās told her sheās the only one for him (his favorite cardigan), sheās ready to forgive him
the way that taylor weaves the three perspectives together into one storyline is truly incredible, and im in awe of the way she is able to perfectly encapsulate the feelings of high school romance in her lyrics. in my opinion, these 3 are some of the best songs on folklore

