I think I’ve figured out folklore’s chronology
James Betty August Taylor
1. seven is the first song in the folklore story and it’s told by James and it’s about him falling in love with Betty when they were younger. “Your braids like a pattern” “our love lasts so long” this lyric shows the naïve-ness of childhood love. The lyric “your dad is always mad” comes up when Betty writes cardigan “leaving like a father” so we can assume James is talking to and about Betty.
2. peace is the story of August and James’ affair and is told by August. Lyrics like “I never had the courage of my convictions” & “as long as danger is near” suggest that this is at the start of the affair and she knows that she can’t ever be “the one” for him but she can keep him company “I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm”. She also shows that it isn’t serious in the lyric “I talk shit about you to my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honour”.
3. mirrorball is also told by August about the affair “Hush, when no one is around, my dear” “shining just for you” but as the affair is coming to an end “I know they said the end is near”. She is more invested in their relationship than James is; a contrast to peace. She doesn’t want it to end just yet “I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me”
4. my tears ricochet is written as Betty when she first finds out about the affair. “did I deserve, babe, all the hell you gave me?” and “I swear I loved you” shows the initial hurt and regret she feels about being invested into a relationship in which he was not.
5. exile is the dialogue between August and James as their relationship ended. We can deduce that it’s between the two of them by lyrics such as “we always walked a very thin line” is complementary to “as long as danger is near” in peace, and “now I’m leaving out the side door” which suggests that people didn’t know about the two of them being in the same place so they needed to leave separately or maybe she didn’t want to face anyone else by leaving through the main door.
6. illicit affairs is then told by August who is reflecting on the end of the affair. “Put the perfume back on the shelf that you picked out just for him so you leave no trace behind, like you don’t even exist” shows that she feels unwanted or she genuinely fell in love with James. “it dies a million little times” is a continuation of mirrorball’s “and when I break, it’s in a million pieces”. The anger and resentment is shown clearest in the lyric “look at this idiotic fool that you made me” which suggests instant regret.
7. hoax is a continuation of my tears ricochet but the two have a little bit of distance in between. “Screaming ‘give me a reason’” and “your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in” suggests that she truly loves James but he took it for granted. She’s confused as to why he did what he did.
8. this is me trying is James’ inner monologue as he’s apologising to Betty. This track comes between betty’s bridge and last verse which is proved by the lyric “I’m here in your doorway” while, in betty, it’s “so I showed up at your party”
9. betty is James’ apology to Betty for cheating on her. He confesses that “it was just a summer thing”, wants to “make it up to [her]” and asks for forgiveness.
10. cardigan is Betty’s inner monologue during James’ apology where she feels loved again “you put me on and said I was your favourite”. We know that this is only the initial reaction because of how quickly she accepts his apology in betty and her need to be loved.
11. august is August’s reflection on her relationship with James but the maturity of the lyrics suggests that it is a while after they ended. “Whispers of ‘are you sure?’ ‘Never have I ever before’” suggest innocence with a tint of secrecy. Those lyrics also suggest that James was important to her because she lost her virginity to him.
12. invisible string is told by Betty about her falling in love with Bill. “Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven” is a reference to her relationship with James and so is “cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart” because of him cheating on her.
13. the 1 is Betty’s reflection on her relationship with James and how naïve they were to believe they would last forever. This is suggested in lyrics like “if my wishes came true, it would’ve been you”. However, we can deduce that Betty is older while writing this because of her acknowledgement of August “chase two girls, lose the one” and “if you wanted me, you should’ve shown”
14. the last great american dynasty is Betty’s story told by Taylor and it’s the song which allows her to enter her own story because of Betty owning Taylor’s home before her. Betty inherited a lot of money from Bill and the town questions her motives.
15. mad woman is told by Betty and is possibly about the people who drove her out of Rhode Island with lyrics like “you poke that bear til the claws come out” and “women like hunting witches too” which suggests that everyone was after her. The most powerful lyric is probably “you made her like that” suggesting that Betty became the way she is because of how people saw and treated her.
16. epiphany, in the storyline, tells the end of each of the characters’ endings told by Taylor. James goes to war where her has a flesh wound and he’s “bleeding out” while the women are “crashing out”. It doesn’t necessarily say that they all died but it wraps up their endings and Taylor will “serve” and “fall” with the characters she’s made up.
@taylorswift @taylornation what do you think?
