Understanding 'August' by Taylor Swift: The Hidden Meaning Behind the Lyrics

The air is already tinged with nostalgia for Swifties, and the countdown to the eighth month of the calendar has ended. August is here to bring that summer wistfulness and face the consequences of what has passed. What makes this song so special?

Taylor's eighth album, a surprise in a pandemic-stricken world, was released on July 24, 2020, produced by Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. Filled with hits like "the 1," "Cardigan," and "This Is Me Trying," “Folklore” marks a departure from Taylor’s pop roots, delving into indie folk, alternative rock, and electro folk. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, the album stands out from her other works as it features stories created from her imagination rather than being self-referential. With this album, Taylor showcased her lyrical maturity, which was warmly received by critics.

There’s something magical about the eighth song on the album, "August." Who hasn’t felt like a second choice at some point? Have you ever canceled plans waiting for someone’s call? Did you ever feel like you weren’t enough? Have you ever had someone who wasn’t truly yours to lose? Many can relate to the melancholy of a summer romance (or a romance that never was) or being someone’s second choice.

Iconic lines from the song include “To live for the hope of it all,” “’Cause you weren’t never mine to lose,” and “Wanting was enough, for me it was enough.” We could highlight many more. But let’s delve into Taylor's process of writing the song, what it’s about, and why it’s one of the most listened-to ballads.

The song tells a love triangle story among teenagers, with "August" being the first of three different tales. The story behind it describes how this teenager (Augustine) falls for James, who is already in a relationship with Betty. Taylor describes the song as a feeling of longing and memories: “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,” the chorus sings.

Listen to "August"

Taylor always envisioned Augustine as “the girl of August,” and in her Disney+ documentary “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” she said, “She seems like a bad girl, but she’s actually very sensitive. She fell in love and was trying to pretend that she was okay, because that’s what girls are supposed to do. She was making him think she didn’t care, but she did.” This character is the third party in the love triangle between James and Betty. To understand each perspective, we have the song “Betty,” which tells James’s side of the story, and then “Cardigan,” which explores Betty’s experience of the love triangle years later. Taylor eventually revealed that James and Betty end up together.

In conclusion, “living for the hope of it all,” as Augustine wished, was never enough, and she never lost James because he was never hers to begin with. It’s the anthem of second choices and trends on social media with fans’ multiple edits reflecting what August means to each of them.

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